Source: Telegraph
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger likens Jack Wilshere to Wayne Rooney
Wilshere, not 18 until January 2010, is the latest success story to emerge from Arsenal's youth team. He has come through the ranks and only last week produced two man-of-the-match worthy performances in Arsenal's Emirates Cup campaign, scoring twice along the way.
But in spite of his recent run of good form, Wenger has vowed to keep his young talent grounded insisting Wilshere still has a long way to go.
'What is good in his case is he reminds me a bit of Rooney when he started, in his belief and his positive attitude to go forward,' the Frenchman told the Star.
'For the rest, he still has a lot to learn regarding relations with other players team-wise, but there are some great basics there.
'As a manager you do not want a guy to be a star before he has delivered and maybe here that is more difficult that anywhere else.'
Wilshere's run of impressive form has led many to suggest he could be selected to partner Rooney up front in England's forthcoming internationals but Wenger insists that for now, a cap with the senior national side is something Wilshere may have to wait a little longer for.
'I believe he {Fabio Capello] will leave him out of the national team at the moment,' Wenger said.
Meanwhile, with the start of the new season approaching Wenger has admitted that another trophyless campaign will be viewed as a disaster by Arsenal fans. The club finished fourth last season and were knocked out of the Champions League by eventual finalists Manchester United and succumbed to Chelsea in the semi-final stages of the FA Cup.
Nonetheless, Wenger is sure his squad have what it takes to deliver next May.
"I feel that what is accepted at Arsenal is to win the Champions League and the (Premier League) title. Anything else is looked at like a disaster," he said. "In 2007, we were very close to winning the championship, last year we were in the semi-finals of the Champions League and it was looked at like a disaster.
"Overall, our results last year were not as disastrous as people think, nor in the way we played our football. We did not win a trophy, and of course that hurts. but the overall assessment of the season has been highly negative because we did not win a trophy in the years before.
"We had a bad start, but then had the longest unbeaten run in the Premier League, were in the semi-finals of the FA Cup and the Champions League. We did not lose against bad teams.
"If you look at the average age of the team and our overall achievement, I think it is quite remarkable."
