Jack Wilshere…is it over?

Twenty-three years ago this summer at Italia ’90, an Englishman of uncommon talent took the world by storm and elevated himself to a platform where greatness is achieved.

Unfortunately for Paul Gascoigne, alcoholism and injuries have left us wondering what could and should have been. If that tackle hadn’t been made, would Gazza have moved on to become the world’s best? We’ll never know but at least we did get a glimpse of what could’ve of been…

Jack Wilshere is in trouble and it’s not the kind that can be swept under the carpet or paid off with a fine. The boy has injury concerns and it’s bad enough to make me fear we’ll never see the best of him.

His ankles are as knackered as Gazza’s knee was. Arsenal know it, his manager, Arsene Wenger knows it and pretty soon the English footballing public will know that the finest footballer that those shores have developed since the Geordie wonderboy will never hit the heights the country so desperately needs him to find.

And to think it was only seven weeks ago that Wilshere was showing Brazil how to play Brazilian football.

Driving forward with a ball. Delivery deft passes. Showing imagination. Demanding set pieces. Biting into challenges. It’s called bossing the game!

Arsenal will try and baby him through the last part of the campaign but it will do no good. If you haven’t got strong ankles, you can’t play professional football.

Goodbye Jack Wilshere, you shone brightly but way too briefly.