Former Celtic striker Carlton Cole has warned Jack Wilshere about the potential dangers of a move to Rangers.
The ex-England international told talkSPORT (via the Daily Record): ‘It would be a bit too cold for him. When I played up there I had knee problems but some of the grounds had astroturf and I couldn’t play. As soon as I play on it or train on it I’m out for a week with swollen knees so it wouldn’t be great for him.’
Wilshere has been linked with a move to Ibrox following his release from West Ham, with talkSPORT (via Glasgow Live) saying that a move to Rangers cannot be ruled out.
In terms of injuries, the ex-Arsenal man is well-known for being fairly injury prone, sadly.
Transfermarkt state that the England international missed a total of 53 games for the Irons due to ankle and groin issues.
In that respect, Cole might be right in warning him against playing on artificial pitches. If Wilshere couldn’t even stay fit while on grass, playing on astroturf presumably won’t do his injury problems much good.
However, if Steven Gerrard – who played alongside the ex-Bournemouth man for England – can somehow keep him fit, the Gers will have an outstanding player who could take the Scottish Premiership by storm.
Wilshere’s former boss Arsene Wenger – who handed him his professional debut – has previously likened the midfielder to Lionel Messi.
ESPN quote the Frenchman as saying: ‘Jack Wilshere is a playmaker. He is a bit of a Messi type. He makes me think about Mbappe because I played him at 17 years of age because he was an exceptional talent.’
According to Spotrac, the ex-Bolton midfielder was earning £100,000-a-week at the London Stadium. Those wages will presumably be too much for Rangers to consider.
However, if Gerrard can get Wilshere to agree to a pay-as-you-play deal, then there would be no risk attached to what could be a great signing.
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