Jack Wilshere joined West Ham on a free transfer in the summer of 2018. The Englishman had just seen his Arsenal contract expire and despite a section of Gunners supporters hoping the club would retain the midfielder, they let him walk away for free. Now, with just five Premier League appearances under his belt, those Arsenal supporters must be thankful the club allowed him to leave.
West Ham supporters, on the other hand, may not be quite as happy. Wilshere has scored zero goals, tallied one assist, and completed 339 Premier League minutes.
West Ham and Jack Wilshere: New club but same old story for ex-Arsenal player
After playing a full 90 minutes in each of West Ham’s first three matches this season, Wilshere’s body quickly broke down.
He played just 64 minutes against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the season’s fourth fixture. All four of the Hammers’ opening four matches ended in a loss.
Miraculously, West Ham finally won their first game of the season when Wilshere was left out of the squad for their fifth match. That game saw West Ham defeat Everton 3-1 and it was the catalyst to a three-game unbeaten run.
Jack Wilshere (27) has still got no signs of returning from his ankle injury. He signed for us last summer on a free transfer, but only played 5 time for the hammers. He was set to be a great player, unfortunately injury has not been on his side.
What are your thoughts on this?⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Pk3sIqEeNb— West Ham News – Nick Watson (@WHUupdates) February 2, 2019
Wilshere has now missed 18 games due to an ankle injury. He did attempt a comeback against Newcastle in gameweek 13 but was removed after five minutes with sighs from West Ham supporters being heard across London.
Will Jack Wilshere prove his worth at West Ham?
The 27-year-old midfielder has shown over the course of his career that he cannot stay fit. West Ham took a big gamble on him and it is not paying off.
Jack Wilshere is Reportedly out for the season!
Discuss? pic.twitter.com/pNOhA2KPyP
— iRONS UNITED (@irons_united) February 2, 2019
Hammers supporters have vented their frustrations with his signing. Of course, they have every right to be angry as West Ham have underperformed despite spending heavily in recent offseasons.
Instead we put Jack Wilshere on 100 grand a week for 3 years. So far he has made 4 apps & earnt 4 million. Great f**king business that!
— Giesen (@Giesen12) January 30, 2019
Recent reports over Wilshere’s ankle injury have been mixed with some claiming he is done for the season. Others have stated manager Manuel Pellegrini will have the midfielder back in the side soon.
Is Jack Wilshere statistically worth signing?
Wilshere has always shown potential. He was always held up as the most technical British player and one that could play for Europe’s elite clubs.
Even when healthy, however, Wilshere never set the Premier League on fire statistically. The midfielder’s best season in goals came in 2013/14 when he scored three times.
His best season in terms of assists was 2012-13 and 2013-14. Wilshere registered five assists on both those occasions. So, the idea that he is creating a lot of goals from midfield is a misnomer.
Just one time in Wilshere’s career has he reached or exceeded 30 Premier League appearances. In 2010-11, he appeared in 35 games. That was his first full season with Arsenal’s first team. It was also eight years ago.
Jack Wilshere versus Dele Alli
There is a common argument between English football fans on which player is better: Jack Wilshere or Dele Alli. There is no argument, however. Alli’s stats blow Wilshere’s out of the water.
- Wilshere (Arsenal) – 198 games; 14 goals and 30 assists
- Alli (Tottenham) – 171 games; 53 goals and 45 assists
Wilshere is reportedly on £100,000-a-week, making him one of the highest earners at West Ham. Supporters can make up their minds on whether it is money well spent.
