Jack Wilshere has revealed that Unai Emery advised him to quit Arsenal.
The Gunners’ academy product wasn’t around for the Emery era in North London after leaving his boyhood club on a Bosman during the same summer that the Spaniard arrived.
Wilshere swapped Arsenal for West Ham United, but there was an agreement in principle to extend his contract at the Emirates Stadium while Arsene Wenger was in charge.
But the Frenchman’s departure after 22 years put paid to the England international’s desire to stay, with Emery revealing that Lucas Torreira was going to replace him in midfield.
Wilshere told Football London: “He [Emery] said to me: ‘If I was you I would leave, you’re not in my starting XI’.
“He had plans to buy a midfielder, I think he bought Torreira and a few others and I wasn’t in his plans. That was the moment when I decided.”
Emery only lasted some 18 months at Arsenal and was sacked in November.
His first season was a moderate success. His team finished one point outside the top four, progress in comparison to the year before, and were beaten finalists in the Europa League.
But Arsenal’s form deteriorated during the first half of this season, resulting in the club taking a change of head coach.
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