When Jack Wilshere signed for Bournemouth on loan on transfer deadline day, it came as a surprise to a lot of people.
He was once heralded as England’s great hope, but his career at his boyhood club Arsenal has been severely hindered by injuries and poor form.
However, he appears to be having a resurgence since making the switch to Bournemouth and on Saturday, the 24-year-old completed his first full match since 2014 as his side drew 0-0 with Tottenham Hotspur.
He is enjoying a different type of experience at Bournemouth though. No longer is he playing with superstars like Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez whose emphasis on the passing aspect of the game make it a dream for someone like Wilshere to play alongside. At Bournemouth, he knew he would have to work.
“Sometimes when you are at a top club and you have been at a top club for your whole career and you are playing week-in week-out it is easy to get in that comfort zone.”
“For me to come down here and taste a different side of the Premier League, where you have to fight for everything, fight for every point and work as a team, it is definitely out of my comfort zone.”
As for the the Tottenham game, Wilshere is more delighted about what his performance symbolised rather than the outcome of the match. Making a full return after spending so long on the sidelines has given him a huge boost, one that he will carry with him to the training ground.
“I haven’t played 90 minutes in two years. It’s a long time not to play 90 minutes and when you play game by game you start to get your confidence back and try more things.”
“I am working hard in training but you can’t get that match fitness unless you are playing games.”
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