Interview

'What Mikel has done with Martinelli is genius'

Having been around the first-team squad again for the past few months, Jack Wilshere is as excited as anyone about the young talent breaking through.

Having burst on to the scene as an academy graduate himself during his first spell at the club, he knows exactly what it takes to make the next step - and  he's seen many reasons to be positive about the future.

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"The obvious ones, who everyone knows about are Bukayo and Emile," Wilshere told Arsenal Media. "I think you’ve just got to look at the level that they are setting. 

"The consistency that they’re putting in every week, their performances and they’ve got a manager as well who trusts them and I think if you’re a young player at Arsenal coming through the academy now, you should look at that and think, ‘Well, if I’m good enough, I’m going to get a chance, no matter how old I am.’ 

"Yes, you’ve got to work hard and prove yourself, but with a manager who believes in youth and wants to build a young, hungry team, so they’ve all got a chance.

"I mentioned before their consistency levels which is sometimes rare for a young player, a lot of time you see a young player come in, have a good game, three or four good games, maybe one or two bad games, but with Emile and Saka, it seems to be they’re doing it week in, week out, they’re making the right decisions all the time. 

 

"But the one who I really like and think he’s going to be top, is Martinelli," he continued. "I think what the manager has done with him has been genius as well. 

"When I first went there he was training, coming on, not playing much, but training really well and I was thinking, ‘He’s going to get a chance here' and he eventually got his chance and he’s been brilliant. 

"He was the Player of the Month and he’s been brilliant and he trains like that every day as well."

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