Arsenal hero compares Wilshere to Spurs legends and Man Utd star

Tuesday, February 5, 2013
2:21 PM

Arsenal legend Liam Brady thinks Jack Wilshere will only improve for club and country and believes the 21-year-old has the talent to match the likes of Paul Gascoigne, Glenn Hoddle and Wayne Rooney.

Brady, who made more than 200 appearances for the Gunners between 1973 and 1980, winning the FA Cup in 1979, has praised 21-year-old Wilshere’s impact since returning from his lengthy lay-off with ankle and knee injuries.

The 56-year-old former Republic of Ireland midfielder told Talk Sport: “We were all a bit nervous - it was 18 months [out injured] - but he has improved with every game and his performance against Liverpool was outstanding.

“I think he will be up there with the very, very skilful creative English players. In my time it was Glenn Hoddle, [Paul] Gascoigne came after that and then [Wayne] Rooney and I think Wilshere will be in that mix.

“I think he is leading the [Arsenal] team now, his pace is deceptive. He has a funny running style but he drifts past players, and he’s only 22 [sic], he’s only going to get better.”

Wilshere is expected to claim his seventh England cap in tomorrow’s friendly with Brazil, when former Arsenal left-back Ashley Cole is anticipated to make his 100th international appearance.

“I think like Ashley he’s going to go on and play a lot of games for England,” Brady said of Wilshere.

While Wilshere has been praised by Brady, the Irishman, who will leave his role at the club’s youth academy in May 2014, believes Wojciech Szczesny must analyse footage of two of his former team-mates to enhance his ability as a goalkeeper.

“I told him, ‘Don’t go looking for trouble, don’t come charging out of the goal’,” Brady added.

“I played with two of the very best goalkeepers in Pat Jennings and Dino Zoff.

“He probably hadn’t heard of him but I told him to google them and watch them - they didn’t go looking for trouble, they just dealt with the trouble when it arrived.”