Podcast

Wilshere on THAT Barcelona game in 2011

Jack Wilshere
Jack Wilshere

At just 19 years old, Jack Wilshere put in an unforgettable individual display as we beat Barcelona 2-1 at home in the Champions League back in 2011.

The midfielder won man of the match for his performance - but did he realise just how well he was playing during the match?

 

"To be honest, I didn't even think I was [playing that well]," Wilshere told our 'In Lockdown' podcast. "I thought I was doing alright. When we got to half-time, I had done a few good things in the first half but I felt like they had dominated.

 

"They had a way of making you feel like you were running around in circles for no reason. They used to make these little passes in midfield and you didn't know whether to press or to hold back and wait for them.

 

"It wasn't until after the game actually [that I realised how well I'd played]. It was Paul Akers, the kit man, who was like, 'You just had Xavi and Iniesta in your pocket'. I said, 'no chance' and he was like, 'I'm telling you'. Then I got man of the match.

 

"It's difficult when you're in a game to know how well you played and what people are thinking of games.

 

"It wasn't until a couple of times in the game where I had beaten a midfielder where I thought, 'Okay, right, if I can beat that first man you get a little bit of time to get your head up and make a forward pass'. I remember thinking, 'Right, just beat the first press and you'll be alright'.

"Over the next few days I remember Nasri saying to me after the game, 'You need to stay at this level now, you've just gone up a couple of levels, this needs to be your level, week in, week out'. It's alright everyone else saying it, but when it comes from your team-mates, the people who see you every day, it meant more."

Make sure you don't miss an episode by subscribing to 'In Lockdown' now on the following platforms:

Acast

iTunes

Spotify

See Full List

Fixtures & Results

Premier League
Ticket Info