Arsenal: Jack Wilshere a cautionary tale

In a recent documentary, Jack Wilshere discussed the extent of his injury problems and how he nearly quit football during his darkest moments. His Arsenal career provides a cautionary tale for those coming through the ranks.

Jack Wilshere was one of the brightest young talents that I have ever seen. Not just at Arsenal. But at any club. Like Wayne Rooney at Everton or Raheem Sterling at Liverpool or Frank Lampard at West Ham United, from the time he was a fresh-faced schoolboy, it was clear that Wilshere was on course for greatness.

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His first full season as a starter came at the age of 18. It motivated Cesc Fabregas to state that the team would be fine in his absence because Wilshere, not him, was the future of the team. He was just 18 when he made his debut for England. He was 16 when he made his Arsenal debut.

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But then things unravelled. A slew of ankle injuries scuppered Wilshere’s development. He never played regularly after the age of 19, was forever rehabbing from different fitness problems, and eventually fell out of the thinking at the Emirates.

This week, in a preview of his upcoming documentary, Wilshere spoke about his injuries and the time that he nearly gave up on football as a result of the rehabilitation and the health problems of his son:

"“It was tough to take because I was making my way back to where I wanted to be and all of a sudden my four-year-old son was having seizures on the floor. I forgot about football. I remember saying to my wife [Andriani], ‘I’m not sure I can do this any more.’ That’s why I speak highly of Arsène — he was brilliant. He said, ‘Listen, deal with your son, you take however long it takes. This is why this injury took so long. People think you get injured and they say, ‘He’s always injured, he’s injury-prone, he’s never going to be fit,’ but they don’t realise what goes on.”"

Wilshere’s tale is a tragic one. To see such talent wasted because of travesties that are completely beyond his control is awfully sad. It is never nice to see an individual’s hopes scuppered because of things that happen to them that they cannot impact.

But it is also a cautionary one. You have to be very talented, exceptionally hard working and committed, but also tremendously fortunate to make it as a top-level professional footballer. And there are many other tales like Wilshere that act as a warning for the raft of young talent now coming through.

At Arsenal, great expectations are being heaped on the likes of Reiss Nelson, Bukayo Saka and Joe Willock, but there is a need to be careful with how much is hoped of regarding them. Yes, they are extremely talented. And yes, it is going to be exciting to see them move into the first team next season. But there is a long way to go.

The period from 18-year-old prospect to 22-year-old star is not an easy one. Wilshere found out the hard way. And that should serve as a warning for all that are attempting to follow in his footsteps.