Arsene Wenger has backed on loan Arsenal midfielder, Jack Wilshere to take over as manager when he retires from football. It looked like a logical decision to give him time to come back to competitive level.
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He said: “I hope personally that he stays here his whole career”.
But Wenger offered Wilshere a strong show of support, maintaining that he simply needed regular football at Bournemouth in order to recapture his best levels after all of the injury pain of recent seasons.
Howe added: “If you had said to me [a few years ago] that we would have the opportunity to sign someone like Jack I would have said it is not possible”.
“I think it was more based towards fitness really and making sure I improved my fitness levels”. I turn a blind eye to it because I do believe it doesn’t have anything meaningful to help me get results for this club.
Bournemouth chairman Jeff Mostyn has ruled out a move to Arsenal next summer for manager Eddie Howe.
‘I want him to extend, yes, ‘ said Wenger.
There will be extra intrigue over Howe’s use of Wilshere in light of rumours he is in the frame to be Wenger’s long-term successor at Arsenal.
I think it is a courageous decision for his career but hopefully a good one. You either have that or you haven’t, but he is a real football man.
‘He has a real football brain and understands football. In football management, you live week to week.
The 66-year-old insists that the 24-year-old has a future at the club as he is a “world-class football player”. “I was watching him in every game and he was so good at Arsenal”. Both teams were desperate to win and I think the mistake we made was we let them score first.
“Yes. I’m convinced by that”, the Frenchman replied when asked if Wilshere was hurt by losing his place. Wenger is also aware of Southampton manager Claude Puel as the Saints boss previously played under Wenger at Monaco.
‘For me, it was always a shame when he played too deep because I like him where he can create.
“I’m not going to say never about using him as a holding midfielder”.
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“It’s the first time for a long time that I’ve had a team of what you can call men ready to compete”.
