Without Jack Wilshere In Their Side, England Lack A Genuine Playmaker

It somewhat surprised me when I read that Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere, in a phone call from a sycophantic fan, humorously shrugged off the fact that he had been excluded from the 23-man England squad for the World Cup.

- Brian Glanville

The following day, however, the same newspaper printed a fulminating diatribe by Wilshere on his exclusion by Gareth Southgate.

I certainly did not blame him; indeed, I thoroughly sympathise with him. As he pointed out, he has played no fewer than 38 matches for Arsenal this season, even if he was obliged to pull out injured from a couple of internationals last year.

“It’s about time I had my say,” said Wilshere. “It goes without saying that I’m incredibly disappointed to have been left out of the squad...I’ve felt fit, sharp and strong all season, and believe I should be in the squad. Given the chance, I would have made a real impact.”