BRAVE Jack Wilshere has revealed the agony of telling his ten-year-old son why his injury record is stopping him finding a new club.
The ex-Arsenal star, 29, has been injury-free for 18 MONTHS and is pleading with teams across the world to ‘give him a chance’.
Wilshere told the Under The Surface podcast: “I’ve got a ten-year-old who is football mad, he loves football and he watches Sky Sports News.
“He sort of understands football and that’s probably one of the toughest parts about explaining to him what’s going on because he’d always ask me if I’ve got a club yet or does anyone want you and I’m like ‘no’.
“I think that’s all you can say – you have to be honest with him.”
Wilshere has been without a club since Bournemouth released him in the summer following a change of management.
And the England international believes potential employers are judging him on his fitness record rather than giving him a fair opportunity.
Wilshere’s career has been hampered by countless injuries since he won the PFA Young Player of the Year award in 2011.
Discussing his former pains, he added: “I’m probably paying the price more than I did back then.
“And I can feel that now because I think it’s a perception and I’ve had this opinion from a few clubs: ‘Great player, but an injury waiting to happen.’
“I haven’t been injured since before lockdown – and that was not a serious injury – I’ve trained every day.
“When I was at Bournemouth I was available for every single game, so I feel like it’s a lazy answer because I can.
“Give me a chance, let me prove myself to you then, show you that I’m fit.”
Wilshere recently trained with Serie B side Como after CEO Dennis Wise offered him the chance to spend time in Italy.
But the ex-Prem ace can’t sign for the minnows due to Serie B rules on non-EU players and has even considered retiring prematurely at 29.
Wilshere continued: “With the situation I’m in and people saying no or not even giving me a chance, it’s normal you’re gonna have those thoughts.
“And then to get the support of players you’ve played with or players you’ve watched saying I can’t believe you’re without a club; it gives you confidence.”
Wilshere has also reiterated his interest in playing abroad and making a fresh start after his injury hell in England.
He admitted: “I think that’s why I went to Italy as well as I think it was like a fresh start without that perception of ‘an injury waiting to happen’.
“You can go into somewhere in a new country at a new club where, yeah, they might have heard of me and seen I’ve been injured.
I think I can play at the top level, the very top, I just want to be given the opportunity to show that I can do that, and I just want to be given the opportunity to prove to people that I’m fit, I’ve been fully fit.
Jack Wilshere
“But actually they’re giving me a chance and letting me show people what I can do. It’s a new book almost – and I can write my own book again.
“I think what keeps me going is the love of the game. I just want to play football.
“Fans are back in stadiums, I watch the Premier League a lot, I watch a lot of football and I just want to be a part of that.
“I want to feel that buzz again going on to the pitch and playing football.”
But Wilshere isn’t getting ahead of himself and has asked his wife Andriani to let him know when it’s time to give up on trying to revive his career.
He revealed: “I said to the missus, ‘Look, just say to me when it’s enough, stop going to train on your own and maybe try and focus on something else.'”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
