Tony Adams has urged Arsene Wenger and Gareth Southgate to make greater use of Arsenal playmaker Jack Wilshere.
Wilshere was left out of Southgate’s England squad for upcoming friendlies against Germany and Brazil, with West Brom’s Jake Livermore and Burnley’s Jack Cork called up ahead of him as injury replacements.
The 25-year-old, who has suffered a string of major injuries over recent years, has impressed for Arsenal in the Europa League and EFL Cup but not to the extent that he has convinced Wenger to give him a spot in the Gunners’ Premier League side.
But Adams believes Wilshere’s emotional attachment to Arsenal can drive Wenger’s side forward as they look to recover from a stuttering start to the season.
“I’d like him to play even more, to be in the starting XI more often and get back into that England team,” Adams told Standard Sport at the premiere of 89, a new documentary. “We need him both internationally and for the Arsenal.
“He’s got the history of the club at heart, coming through the youth system. You’d like to think that he has got some kind of emotional attachment to the club.
“We bought Ozil and these players. That’s great, some people settle really well and do marvellous things for the club. But players like Jack and Alex Iwobi that came from the academy just feel more for the club. It was like that in 1989, when we had six of us in the side.”
Wilshere insists that as he enters the final six months of his contract he still hopes to earn a new deal at Arsenal, though his focus for now remains on earning a regular spot in Wenger’s strongest side.
“I’ve been here 10 years, I love this club and feel like I have a special relationship with the fans,” Wilshere told Standard Sport. “Of course I want to stay.”
Talks between Arsenal and Wilshere are planned for next month, with Wenger warning that any injury setbacks between now and then would make it “difficult” for him to get back to his peak.
