Benik Afobe has told the Beautiful Game podcast that former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere could have played for Barcelona he was so good.
Wilshere was released by Arsenal in 2018, after the club opted against extending his contract.
The central midfielder had struggled badly with injury throughout his time in Arsenal’s first team, and in the end the North London club felt the best move was to move him on.
It is fair to say that Wilshere hasn’t made Arsenal regret their decision yet.
The England international had a difficult spell at West Ham United where he once again struggled to stay fit, and he has now moved to Bournemouth in the Championship.
But Afobe claims that Wilshere’s talents should have seen him playing at the very top of the game.
“You know what, I’m not saying this because he’s one of my best friends, but Jack is so good that he’s now underrated,” Afobe began in a brilliant interview with the Beautiful Game Podcast.
“Everyone thinks he’s overrated, but I’m starting to think he’s underrated now because this guy can do anything and everything.
“He could have played at the highest level – I’m talking Barcelona or Real Madrid. I know people are going to say I’m being biased, but I’m not, this guy is cold!
“We used to call him wriggler, from the age of 10. Because he’d get the ball and just run with it.
“We used to go on tournaments, and at one tournament in Belgium, we were playing against Anderlecht – Lukaku was playing, he was already 6ft 3!
“I was playing up-front, I remember Jack would just get the ball from the keeper and turn and just start running.
“We’d have bare fights me and him because he was so greedy, back then he was playing against his own age it was too easy. And he’d just go round everyone.”
Wilshere is now fighting hard just to get back to the top level.
The 29-year-old has had to step into the second tier to prove his fitness, but his performances are already showing the quality that he possesses.
Wilshere has scored two goals in six games for Bournemouth, and could well have a key role to play as the Cherries hunt promotion.
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