West Ham signed former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere on a free transfer this summer after a 17 year association with the club.
Wilshere became an Arsenal regular as a teenager, but has had one of the most injury-ravaged careers in recent history. The player was subject huge spells on the sidelines, including missing an entire season at one stage.
However, many believed that he would be one of the best midfielders on the planet when he was younger. Sadly that has been curtailed somewhat, but many still see him as a highly talented midfielder. Certainly that is how many of the West Ham fans saw it when they signed him.
Fans as the London Stadium hoped that the 26-year-old could put his injuries past him and become a mainstay for The Hammers, a club who he supported as a boy.
Nonetheless, there were still some that were sceptical about this signing, citing the player’s injury-prone nature as a huge negative and a burden on the wage bill.
This is what the fans had to say:
That is a seriously good signing. He has so much to give and so much to prove and he's got a fantastic manager to help him develop further. #Wilshere
— David Pearce (@davidgpearce) July 9, 2018
Welcome the the irons @JackWilshere England in the semi final and now we have jack!!!!! Can this week get any better :)))
— Munner! (@Munner619) July 9, 2018
What a signing
— Rob O’Toole (@Robotoole7) July 9, 2018
Welcome home mate @JackWilshere #COYI
— Daniel Cutter (@DanielCutter) July 9, 2018
@ollielew9797 can’t wait for him to slot a couple past Arsenal
— Aaron King (@Aaron_B_King) July 9, 2018
Such a brilliant signing. Buzzing
— patrick woolcock (@hammerpat2020) July 9, 2018
born a hammer, always a hammer 😉
— Ollie (@olliechapman__) July 9, 2018
Get in. @JackWilshere HES COMING HOME HES COMING!!! Time to help turn this team into winners under the new boss! @Ing_Pellegrini COYI
— JB (@BurchettJason) July 9, 2018
Some fans were slightly more negative:
If they are English and injured, west ham will sign them
— #ChokeDaddy (@grapplestuff) July 9, 2018
INJUREDDDD
— Jutéssi #Yeniden (@Jutessi) July 9, 2018
Complete waste of money when we will ever learn
— Car (@carhammers) July 9, 2018
Three months into his tenure with The Irons, and the slightly more negative fans are being proven right. Wilshere is injured again.
The midfielder injured his ankle in September and required surgery. He return is imminent, but no one knows how long that will be for.
However, since suffering his injury, West Ham have seen a resurgence after a truly hapless start to their season. This may be a coincidence, it may not be, but surely some fans are starting to think that the team are better without the former Arsenal man.
