If there is one thing to be pleased with, more than anything else over the first three pre-season fixtures, then it is the reassurance that we have glimpsed the potential of some of our young stars we have at the club. But having seen the majority of the starlets in the first team over the last few weeks, who will bethe first to make his mark in the team?
Step forward Jack Wilshere, youngest but best of all the reserves at the club. I say reserve, but Wilshere himself has only seen a handful of reserve games so far in his career. Up until the start of 2008 Wilshere was only really involved in U18s games and internationals, where he was already making a huge impression in the academy ranks with his goals and technical ability shining through. I first heard of him at the age of 14, when he was picked for the England U16s Victory Shield games, and since then I ‘ve watched his progress with interest.
Wilshere has something about him that makes you stand up and take notice – he is the start of what hopefully will bring several English talents that have been coached by Arsenal to have the technical ability, range of passing and movement and overall football philosophy to finally start to put England on a par with countries that play “proper ” football – Brazil, Spain and the like.
Of course we don’t want to overhype the kid, and in England we tend to draw over the top conclusions about any footballer who is a) English and b) young and talented. This is because we are constantly loking for the next big thing who might help us finally achieve success in a nation where football is easily the No.1 sport.
But nevertheless, when Cesc Fabregas first played for the first team at 16 he showed us exactly what he could go on to be for Arsenal, and I have a firm belief Wilshere will do exactly the same. His movement is first class, every inch a natural footballer. If you were to compare him to Walcott, for example, who was also the “next big thing” at 16, Wilshere is completely different. While it was the raw talent and pace that thrust Walcott into the limelight, with Wilshere it is the way he does everything so competently at such a young age. Decision making is constantly being improved in Walcott, with Wilshere its mostly already there.
I would be very surprised if Wilshere does not become a very, very good player within the next 4 years. But its all down to the way we treat him. Fabregas probably played too many games when he was too young, but he coped amazingly well. That is a risk hopefully we won’t take with Wilshere, and instead keep him in the reserves for a while, give him CC appearances until physically he has developed enough to sustain his form throughout a season by the time he is 19. We need to nurture like with Walcott, rather than fast track him. And i have every faith in Wenger to do just that.
but he has shown over pre-season that he has everything in his locker to become a fanstastically gifted player for Arsenal
