Jack Wilshere says that he and Arsene Wenger didn’t see eye to eye on his best position as the long-time Arsenal midfielder says he preferred to be played in a deeper role.
Wilshere was with Arsenal from 2001 until 2018, having made his senior debut for the club in 2008 after coming up through the academy. The midfielder made 197 total appearances for the Gunners, although injuries derailed his later years with the club.
Now at West Ham, Wilshere has revealed that he feels he wasn’t always played at his best position, with Wenger often playing him higher up the field than he would have liked.
“We disagreed on that a few times. But we laughed about it as well,” Wilshere told Arsenal’s In Lockdown podcast. “When I first got into the team I played on the right wing and I actually really enjoyed it. I never saw myself playing there but I really enjoyed it, cutting in from the right, taking either a shot or a through ball and I really enjoyed it.
“Then when I started playing in the Premier League, we used to play a 4-2-3-1 and I’d play in the two in midfield. I think that was only because of the injuries at the time but then I took my opportunity, he stuck by me and I learnt that position that year.
“Then when I came back from that injury, I think he saw me playing further forward. He wanted me to play as a No.10 and, don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy it but I found it more difficult playing there.
“I enjoyed it more playing a little bit deeper and getting on the ball, controlling the game. And then obviously, I started playing holding midfield for England and I loved it.”
However, despite his success in the role with England, Wilshere says that Wenger never saw him playing as a No. 6, causing a bit of a disagreement between the two.
“Things went really well when I was playing there,” he said, “and I felt like I was learning that role and then I came back and had a conversation with Arsene and he was like, ‘No, I don’t see you playing there.’
“We didn’t really play that formation where there was that one holding midfielder anyway but I wanted to play in the two but he kept playing me in the No.10 role which I enjoyed.
“Listen, I was playing No.10 with the No.10 on my back so I was living the dream but I just felt I could give a little bit more when I was deeper.”
SOURCE:- allfootballapp
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