Manuel Pellegrini believes Jack Wilshere can become West Ham United’s answer to Juventus and Italy legend Andrea Pirlo as the midfielder prepares for his Arsenal return.

Wilshere is set to face Arsenal for the first time, just three games into his West Ham career, and Pellegrini is confident the 26-year-old can still live up to the billing given to him during his early days at the Emirates.

Pellegrini’s praise comes as Unai Emery, the Arsenal head coach, said that Wilshere left the club in order to become the “protagonist” of West Ham’s new era at the London Stadium.

Sam Allardyce, the former West Ham and England manager, has claimed that Wilshere and Mark Noble are too slow to play together in midfield following consecutive defeats by Liverpool and Bournemouth.

Noble is a doubt for the trip to Arsenal, but Pellegrini is convinced that Wilshere, who joined on a free transfer after 17 years in north London, is best suited to a sitting role in the West Ham midfield — whether he is partnered by Noble or not.

“If you need fast players they cannot do it,” the West Ham manager said. “But if you need good technical players that do not lose any balls, then they can play together.