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Why Jack Wilshere should be recalled to the England squad

In November, England manager Gareth Southgate made it very clear that Jack Wilshere couldn’t be in the England squad if he wasn’t playing regularly for Arsenal. A lot has changed since then with Wilshere establishing himself as a key player for Arsene Wenger’s side. Southgate can now have no excuses when it comes to recalling Jack Wilshere to the England squad.

Jack Wilshere hasn’t played for England since they were eliminated from Euro 2016 by Iceland. He was not included in Gareth Southgate squad, for games against Brazil and Germany last November due to a lack of Premier League game time.

Wilshere’s injury problems have been well documented over the year but at the age of 26, it seems that he has finally turned a corner. Wilshere is more hungry and determined than ever to be a part of Arsenal’s first-team squad. He went out on loan to Bournemouth which must have been a difficult decision and even though he got injured there, he was playing some good football beforehand. At the start of this season, Wilshere was mainly used in the Europa League and he put in some excellent performances which led to Arsenal fans calling for Wenger to use him in the Premier League.

Wilshere made five substitute appearances in the Premier League before he was finally rewarded with a league start against West Ham. That was Wilshere’s first start for Arsenal since 15 May 2016. Since then, he hasn’t looked back.

The midfielder has started all eight of Arsenal’s Premier League games following the goalless draw against West Ham in mid-December. The best thing about Wilshere’s eight consecutive Premier League starts is that he hasn’t been substituted once, showing that his body is capable of playing the full 90 minutes. For a player that has struggled with injury for so long, this is a huge boost.

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When Arsenal faced Crystal Palace and won 3-2, Wilshere was Man of the Match. He was at the heart of Arsenal’s best moves and provided a sublime assist for Alexis Sanchez’s second goal – hitting an inch-perfect ball over the top from his own half to his team-mate on the edge of the Crystal Palace area.

Then in the 2-2 draw with Chelsea, Wilshere scored Arsenal’s first goal. That was his first goal in his last 43 Premier League games, since netting the MOTD goal of the season against West Brom in May 2015.

Wilshere has been making an impact following his inclusion in Arsenal’s Premier League squad. He’s scored once and provided two assists in 13 leagues appearances and if he were to suffer another injury now, he would be sorely missed.

After countless injuries woes, Jack Wilshere is back to his best and playing regular football for Arsenal, the club he loves. He has worked extremely hard to be fully fit this season. Now it’s time for Gareth Southgate to recall him to the England squad and show him that his hard work has paid off.