Jack Wilshere: Alex Iwobi looks like he's been in the Arsenal first team for years

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James Benge4 May 2016

Jack Wilshere has praised Alex Iwobi for his swift adaptation to the Arsenal first-team since his promotion earlier this year.

Iwobi, who turned 20 on Tuesday, was formally promoted to Arsene Wenger’s setup in early February after a series of eye-catching displays in FA Cup matches and off the bench over the festive period.

The Nigerian youngster has taken further opportunities in impressive fashion over recent months, scoring on his first Premier League start away to Everton and retaining a spot in the XI for the following six games.

Wilshere, a fellow academy graduate, has not been surprised by the remarkable steps taken by Iwobi since he made his first-team debut in a 3-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in October and has revealed that he has been tracking the forward’s progress since before that initial bow.

“I really like him as a player,” Wilshere told the club website. “I watched him in the FA Youth Cup last year and you could always tell there was something special about him.

“He used to train with us quite a lot. He was young, so he never really got a look in when he came over, but you could tell he had something special and he has really matured.

“If you ask anyone, it looks like he has been in the team for a number of years. He is confident, technically he is great, he fits in and physically he doesn’t look like a 20-year-old.”

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Arsene Wenger has previously spoken of his pride at the emergence of Iwobi, who has followed the path trod by Hector Bellerin and Francis Coquelin as a youngster who has risen to the occasion when pressed into action in the first team.

Wilshere is another to have repaid Wenger’s faith in young prospects, at least when he has been fully fit, and the midfielder praised his manager’s willingness to give youth a chance.

“I think the boss has done really well with him because he brought him in, brought him out and then put him into the team,” he said.

“You have to give credit to the boss as well because, at a club like Arsenal, you are looking to win things, finish top four, get Champions League, win competitions, and to play a 19-year-old and keep your faith in him week in, week out… [Iwobi] has repaid him well.”

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