West Ham midfielder Jack Wilshere has confirmed that he had “pretty much agreed” to stay with former side Arsenal before Arsene Wenger’s departure as manager saw him choose to leave on a free and join the Irons.

The English star was one of a number of new signings for Manuel Pellegrini over the summer as he conducted a minor overhaul of the squad, arriving for nothing and initially establishing himself as a first team mainstay before suffering an injury blow.

Detailing the lead up to his exit, Wilshere revealed that it was the departure of Wenger, who had hinted at more game time at the Gunners, and the arrival of Unai Emery, who suggested that a reduced role was on the cards, which saw his move to the London Stadium emerge.

He told the Islington Gazette: “If Arsene had stayed I would have stayed because of the influence he had in my career and the trust he had in me. He gave me the armband and respected me a lot.

“So, I had pretty much agreed to stay. And then he left and that changed things. Arsene had said to me previously ‘stay and fight your way back into the team’ – because I knew Arsene and knew he had trust in me, I knew I could do that and fight my way into the team.

“Things were changing at the club and they were going into a new era and maybe it was time for me to leave as well.”

Opinion

Wilshere might not have had the desired impact at West Ham as yet courtesy of a slow start and an injury sidelining him, but he might not have even been a Hammers player had he got his way. The fact he was ready to stay at Arsenal suggests that he was not really ready to leave, but that the draw of regular first team football was too tempting to resist – not that he has found that easy to come by this season. Does it mean his heart is not fully in the Hammers? Absolutely not. Yes, he will always have an affinity with the Gunners after growing up and establishing himself in north London, but his current loyalties lie very much with the Irons, and you can be certain he wishes he was playing week in, week out to try and get his new side success – even if it were at the expense of Arsenal.