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West Ham United midfielder Jack Wilshere is considering making a move to MLS, as has been reported by The Athletic.

Wilshere reportedly finds the idea of his next destination being MLS appealing, with a reduced amount of scrutiny and slower pace of football both factors influencing his line of thinking.

His current deal at London Stadium runs until 2021, so it says a lot about the midfielder’s status at the club that he is already considering his next step.

So far this season, the 27-year-old has started just 2 Premier League games, coming on as a substitute in 4, while he has started 2 Carabao Cup matches, scoring his first West Ham goal in the first of those.

This follows a season in which he managed just 389 minutes across 4 league starts and another 4 substitute appearances, in what was his maiden campaign in claret and blue.

The lack of game time, along with thoughts of a move to MLS during what should be the prime years of his career, are a long stretch from what would have been expected of Wilshere, who is now rated at just £9m by Transfermarkt, during his teenage years.

After all, he was hitting the dizzying heights of the game's very top echelons at the tender age of 19, when he memorably took the game to a Barcelona side containing midfield maestros Xavi and Andres Iniesta.

The former famously suggested Wilshere could become "one of the best midfielders in the world" in an interview in which he also dubbed him "the future of English football".

Xavi didn't get many things wrong on the pitch during his esteemed career at the Nou Camp, but his prophecy has fallen flat on its face.

A large part of his fall from prominence is down to injuries, as signified by the fact that he missed 30 games last season alone, through two separate ankle issues.

Moving to the MLS will likely be a good thing for the England international's career as he looks to regain his status as a difference-maker, but it is also a sign of just how far he has fallen, as well as the potential that has ultimately never been reached.