Arsenal: Jack Wilshere Certainly The Next Diego Simeone

Arsene Wenger has come out and handed the world to Jack Wilshere. By the way he’s talking, Wilshere is Arsenal’s Diego Simeone. Do you believe him?

Jack Wilshere has certainly had a slow start to his career. But he’s still just 24 and given a good year at Bournemouth, he has all the tools needed to return to Arsenal a brand new man and a brand new midfielder.

So much so that Arsene Wenger is pulling out all the stops to make sure that we know it.

Le Prof hasn’t just come out and said that Wilshere is talented. He hasn’t just said he’s a smart lad. He’s literally handed the entire legacy of Arsenal to Wilshere and said ‘there you go, have it all, my child.’

Here are Wenger’s words, via SkySports:

“I hope personally that he stays here his whole career,” he said. “Certainly one day he will be in my [manger’s] seat. He has a real football brain and understands football. You know really, it’s in his genes. I see him in the future at this club of course. He will spend his life in football, he is a football man.”

That’s a lot of praise. Keep in mind that Wilshere has never been able to string together a couple healthy seasons together every since he was anointed as the Chosen One at the age of 18.

Essentially what it sounds like is that Wenger thinks that Wilshere can be the next Diego Simeone. Except with a few caveats.

It’s unlikely that Wilshere will ever put up the numbers that Simeone did. That being said, it’s not impossible. Simeone played 513 matches in all competitions and scored 84 goals. Thus far into young Jack’s career, he has made 129 appearances and scored seven goals. It’s been through injury-heavy seasons that can hardly be his fault.

Let’s assume that Wilshere plays another decade of healthy football. He would have to make just under 40 appearances across all competitions per match and score about seven goals per season.

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Like I said, it’s not likely, but all it would take is for Jack to stay healthy and live up to his potential. Stranger things have happened. The only reason it feels so unlikely is because he has never done it. A late start doesn’t mean that he will never come around.

Enough of that blind optimism though. Simeone played at a handful of different teams, Jack won’t. I am mainly talking about the managing style that Wilshere would bring that could damn well mimic what Simeone has managed to bring to Atletico. Both are very passionate about their club and both have a fire that could lead to exactly the effect that Arsenal supporters are hoping to get by landing Simeone.

The only difference is we would have to wait about two decades for Wilshere to actually take a stab at managing. And then there is the whole issue of Arsenal never seeming to extend an offer to Arsenal men. Who’s to say Patrick Vieira couldn’t have been our Diego Simeone? He’s doing pretty well over in New York City.

Next: Arsenal's 50 Most Defining Moments

It’s exciting thinking of a future where Jack Wilshere is heading the team. You can’t get hurt filling out the team sheet.

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