Jack Wilshere is ticking off the important markers in his recovery towards the level of football he wants to be at consistently – and he credits part of that to a change in diet.
The midfielder, who has played six full games in three weeks and scored in the 2-2 draw against Chelsea on Wednesday, said: “I’ve been dairy- and gluten-free for six weeks. My kids since birth gave been dairy- and gluten-free. The few times I’ve had dairy in the hotel I’ve had an upset stomach.
“But I just cut it out completely and I think I look better. I’ve certainly lost a little bit of weight. I’m leaner and probably a little bit fitter as well. I feel I can last longer. At the end [of the draw against Chelsea] when we scored the second goal I thought: ‘Come on, we can go again.’ I felt good.”
The two-games-a-week schedule may feel onerous and pressured for many but Wilshere has a big appetite for playing for 90 minutes twice a week. It was significant for him to rattle through that kind of fixture list playing well and feeling strong, and when he walked off the pitch with a goal, a performance and a salvaged point against Chelsea, it spoke volumes that he wants more football rather than a rest.
“For myself it’s good to know,” he said. “It gives me belief in my body. I’ve never questioned it. I’ve never thought before the game: ‘I’m a bit tired today’ and this is the third game in six days. I was ready to go. I know my body well. I know the right foods to eat. I know the best way to recover and get the right amount of sleep. I’ve done that over the years and I think now that I am in the best shape that I have ever been.”
He will probably sit out one or both of Arsenal’s cup games coming up, with Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup at the weekend followed by a League Cup semi-final first-leg against Chelsea.
Having got back to regular Premier League football and scoring and making goals, he hopes the message is getting through to Gareth Southgate that his fitness deserves to be trusted for an England call-up. “I heard what the England manager said before the last squad was announced. He said we need to be playing in the Premier League week in, week out and I am doing that now. Hopefully it can continue.”
Wilshere remains hopeful a new Arsenal contract will materialise soon. There has been no progress during the hectic winter schedule. “No date planned,” he said, “but I see the boss every day, so we will see.”
Arsenal sign young centre-back Mavropanos
Arsenal have completed a deal to sign Greek defender Konstantinos Mavropanos. The Guardian reported on Wednesday that the 20-year-old had travelled to London to complete a £1.9m (€2.1m) move, and the club confirmed the signing on Thursday.
“Young Greek defender Konstantinos Mavropanos has signed for us,” an official club statement read. “He arrives from PAS Giannina, where he has made 16 Greek Super League appearances since breaking into the first team last season. We’d like to welcome Konstantinos to the club and wish him well for the future.”
Mavropanos is regarded as one of the best defenders to emerge in Greece in the past 10 years, but is expected to be loaned out in the January window to gain experience, with a view to potentially challenging for a first-team place next season. Guardian sport