There are a lot of young talented English players in the Premier League, the likes of Danny Welbeck, John Bostock and Daniel Sturridge are all well known, but the most exciting prospect in the country is undoubtedly Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere; a player who possesses a touch of real genius reminiscent of when Rooney first made his name for Everton. His sparkling performances in the Emirates Cup over the summer earned him praise from both Wenger and Fabio Capello.

Still only 17, he was tipped for inclusion in the World Cup squad by Wenger after his pre-season displays. While this may be stretching the point, Wenger is not alone in his optimism for Wilshere’s career. He performed admirably against players many years his senior during pre-season and possesses a wonderful ability to drift past players with the ball. His vision is also impressive for such a young player as he created a number of opportunities as well as attempting an audacious chip against Rangers that brought the stadium to its’ feet.

Wilshere has already made brief appearances in the Champions League this season, but the Carling Cup is where he will really be given his chance to show what he can do. Arsenal are fortunate to already have an abundance of quality attacking midfielders so Wilshere will struggle to break into the starting line-up for league games. He is not predicted to grow much taller (Wilshere stands at 5ft 7in), but he has been working on his strength and this will be key in the Premier League as he is a player that will be targeted by defenders for some rough treatment.

He is likely to start in tonight’s Carling Cup quarter final and another impressive performance may raise the possibility of more first-team opportunities. Now that Arsenal have secured their place in the knockout round of the Champions League he may also be given another opportunity in their final group game as Wenger may look to protect his injury-ravaged squad. The fans are keen to see more of the player as he is already something of a cult hero and is one of the few players that can create a buzz of expectation in the stadium every time they are on the ball.

It is always dangerous to heap pressure on such young players, but there are a lot of things in Wilshere’s favour. He has great technique and plays with intelligence; he is also at the perfect club for any young player to be at. Under Arsene Wenger his progress will be carefully monitored and as long he remains focussed on improving himself, Wilshere is a player with a massive future; he could go on to be a major star of world football.

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