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FOOTBALL

JACK A MENACE JUST LIKE DENNIS

Jack Wilshere

Friday December 19,2008

By Frank Wiechula

Jack Wilshere is widely hailed as the brightest fledgling talent at Arsenal, but manager Arsene Wenger is loath to heap even more pressure on his teenage prodigy.

Stevenage-born Wilshere – not 17 until New Year’s Day – is following in the celebrated youthful footsteps of both Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott by rising through the ranks and breaking into the Gunners’ first team.

After making his reserves debut in February, Wilshere has gone on to make six senior appearances – including his historic debuts as Arsenal’s youngest-ever league and Champions League player.

Even more is expected in 2009.

Gunners boss Wenger said: “I believe he will end up a central midfielder, just off the striker, and in the Dennis Bergkamp role.

“I am convinced he will have tremendous penetrative power and we forget that this boy is only 16 and already has so much power.

I believe he will end up a central midfielder, just off the striker, and in the Dennis Bergkamp role

Arsene Wenger

“You give him four more years and he will be massively strong.

“He can find the final ball and can also score goals.

“He is a passionate and committed guy and he is not afraid of tackles. You would want this type of player to finish off central.

“But I would not like to put too much pressure on him because of the expectation level.

“That is one of the problems you have when you are talented and young. Theo Walcott went through that.

“At the start there is a lot of enthusiasm, but suddenly people are saying, ‘Oh, he is not as good as we thought he would be’. There is a lot of scepticism around.

“But Jack has to survive at the top level, and that is not easy.

“Theo coped well with it and I am confident that we can surround Jack well enough to deal with it.”