Jack Wilshere Opens Up On His Arsenal Exit
Jack Wilshere has revealed he decided to leave Arsenal after Unai Emery made it clear that there was no place for him at Emirates Stadium.
Wilshere joined the Arsenal Academy at the age of nine, after a short spell in the Luton Town youth programme.
The Englishman Wilshere made his competitive senior team debut in a Premier League game against Blackburn Rovers in September 2008, after playing for the North Londoners’ youth setup for seven years.
Wilshere, who often struggled with injuries throughout his career, departed Arsenal for fellow London rivals West Ham United in the summer of 2018 after not putting pen to paper on a new deal with the Gunners.
The 28-year-old revealed he was offered a new contract with a ‘pay as you play’ terms which he declined, but the departure of Arsene Wenger wiped the initial offer.
“I got offered a new deal at Arsenal, Wilshere told West Ham United’s official website.
“I obviously had a year left and even into January I was playing in the team and there were still no discussions happening.”
“Then finally the discussions happened. I got offered a new deal and I wasn't really happy with it.’
"I'd have conversations with Arsene and he was doing all he could for me. We sort of got to the point where we'd almost agreed it and I was almost ready to sign.”
“Then the news came that Arsene was leaving and I just thought: 'How can I sign a new deal at a club that is based on appearances? I need to play to get a decent amount of money with a manager who I don't know if he likes me'.
"I wanted to see who was going to come in and then when Emery did come in I wanted to sit down and have a conversation with him.”
“He said to me: 'If I was you I would leave, you're not in my starting XI'. He had plans to buy a midfield, I think he bought [Lucas] Torreira and a few others and I wasn't in his plans. That was the moment when I decided to leave”
