Jack Wilshere has opened up about his time at West Ham and his anguish as he struggled to stay fit enough to make an impact during his spell in east London.
Speaking to the ITV Football Show, Wilshere – who currently remains a free agent following his departure from London Stadium in early October – spoke about his relationship with former manager Manuel Pellegrini and the decision to leave the Irons.
Wilshere joined the Hammers after 11 years with London rivals Arsenal but failed to get going for West Ham, making just 19 appearances during his two years in east London. The 28-year-old has been plagued by injuries and unfortunately it was a trend which didn’t subside as a West Ham player.
He admitted: “The first season was a disaster in terms of missing games and not being available. I got myself really fit towards the end of the season and came on a few times, I had a really strong offseason where I came back to pre-season, felt really good, and really fit. I even started the season, the first few games.”
Once tipped to be the next big thing in English football, and hailed as “a perfect player” by Germany international Marco Reus, Irons fans may have been optimistic that Wilshere could recapture his best form at London Stadium.
However, a fallout with Pellegrini may have prevented that from happening, as the ex-England midfielder outlined: ”I had a disagreement with the manager, as you can in football, and I dropped out of the team.”
Wilshere spoke of a positive relationship with current Irons manager David Moyes, though, as he said: ”I really enjoyed working with Moyes and thought his training was good – obviously I would have liked more opportunity to play, but I respected his decision because he’s the manager.”
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Injuries have scuppered what was once a bright future for Wilshere, whilst the club knew the risks when giving him a three-year contract. They were left with little option but to let him go when it became clear that Moyes saw no future with the unreliable midfielder as part of his plans.
The matter was resolved mutually and a situation like the one across London with Mesut Ozil and Arsenal was avoided.
Wilshere is still on the hunt for a new club, although given the pair’s previous dealings as revealed in this interview, it seems unlikely he will reunite with Pellegrini in the Chilean’s current position as Real Betis manager.
