West Ham star Jack Wilshere confident he can nail down England spot

Fresh start: West Ham's Jack Wilshere
West Ham United via Getty Images
Giuseppe Muro19 July 2018

Jack Wilshere is confident he can earn an England recall at West Ham — but the midfielder admits he must improve to get back in the team ahead of Jordan Henderson.

Wilshere was left out of England’s World Cup squad and says reviving his international career was one of the reasons behind his move from Arsenal to West Ham.

Henderson played in the deeper midfield position for England in Russia, where Southgate missed a playmaker to control the ball in central areas. Wilshere could be the player Southgate is looking for, but the 26-year-old knows he must prove himself at his new club.

“I don’t think I would get into the England team because they haven’t got a player who can hold on to the ball,” he said. “It will be down to me improving against the likes of Henderson, [Jesse] Lingard and players like that.

“I think [England] did well [at the World Cup]. The way Henderson played was massive and I think that role suits him down to the ground. He can get about and is a great leader. Lingard showed everyone what he can do.”

Wilshere has not played for England since they lost to Iceland at Euro 2016, but he hopes to earn a call-up if he can play more regularly at West Ham in his favoured deeper position.

“If I am playing well for West Ham week in, week out, then I do not see why I should not be in the England squad,” said Wilshere, who has 34 caps. “That is a reason why I wanted to stay in England. I wanted to be playing in front of the England manager and in the minds of the fans.”

Wilshere admits it was a wrench to leave Arsenal but says his former team-mate Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain showed there is life after the Gunners.

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Oxlade-Chamberlain left Arsenal for Liverpool in January and helped the Merseyside club reach the Champions League Final before he suffered the knee injury that is now expected to keep him out for most of next season.

“I look at him and he had a great season,” said Wilshere. “Unfortunately, he got injured, but he had a great season and that is something I want to replicate.”

Inspiration: Wilshere hopes to replicate Oxlade-Chamberlain's reboot 
Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Wilshere has struggled with injury throughout his career but is confident his fitness problems are behind him. He played 38 times for Arsenal last season — his best total since 2013-14 — and said: “I have got complete confidence in my body. I proved that last year. I played a lot of games.”

Jack Wilshere ups his game this summer and proudly fronts the launch of NERF LASER OPS PRO, a new line of innovative NERF blasters ready for head-to-head, live-action laser battles. Players can also amp up their game with a free app. The NERF LASER OPS PRO line is now available for pre-order in the U.K. at select online retailers and will be available online and in stores later this month.

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