Jack the Lad

 Since Patrick Vieira’s decisive penalty kick sealed FA Cup victory in 2005, there have been comers and goers, pretenders and fakers, record breakers and history makers, yet Arsenal football club still hold a passion within the squad who play for the name on the front of the shirt, not the one on the back.

Now seven years without a trophy, and having sold his fourth consecutive captain, Arsene Wenger is reforming a team capable of ending the drought.

What this team needs are players who care for the club, those who are willing to sweat blood and devote all their efforts in striving for success. This quality is something that has eluded Arsenal in recent years. Players such as Kolo Toure, Samir Nasri and now Robin Van Persie have all proved the size of their bank account outweigh the size of their heart.

Handed the no.10 shirt following Van Persie’s departure, Jack Wilshere has the love for Arsenal that previous squad members were lacking. Having been part of the club since he was 9 years old, Wilshere has seen the growth and demise of his beloved team. In the 2010/11 campaign, the Englishman showed exactly why Wenger had put so much faith in his talents with a series of fine performances. Equally capable of fulfilling his defensive contributions as well as providing an attacking threat, the London boy has spoken of how he wants to achieve success with Arsenal, and only Arsenal.

It is not just Gunner’s fans that hope for so much from Wilshere, with many expecting him to dominate England’s midfield for years to come.

In his style of play and the manner he conducts himself during interview’s it is blatant to see that Wilshere truly is a fan of Arsenal, and would contentedly spend the rest of his playing days at the Emirates.

Most football enthusiasts think long gone are the days when a player would dedicate his entire career solely to one club. Ryan Giggs, Francesco Totti and Paulo Maldini have all achieved something that a modern player seems incapable of. However, former England manager Fabio Capello suggested Wilshere will be of the same calibre as Maldini. Perhaps they will have more than their technical ability in common.