OPINION
West Ham midfielder Jack Wilshere will need to take his chance to impress in the Hammers’ final match of the Premier League season against Watford on Sunday, after Manuel Pellegrini suggested he is ready to start.
Wilshere joined West Ham from Arsenal last summer, with the England international aiming to get more first team opportunities after being hampered by injuries during his time at the North London club.
However, despite making a promising start to his time at the London Stadium in the opening few weeks of the season, he has not started a Premier League match since the beginning of September after picking up an ankle injury.
West Ham academy graduate Declan Rice and club captain Mark Noble have both been paired together in the Hammers midfield in Wilshere’s absence, and the pair have formed a solid partnership for Pellegrini’s over the course of the season.
However, Pellegrini revealed that Wilshere could be set to start West Ham’s game Watford after coming off the bench in the Hammers’ recent games against Leicester City and Southampton.
“Jack is ready to start. He will be involved in the squad list this game exactly as was the last game. The minutes he played he did very well,” Pellegrini said ahead of West Ham’s trip to Watford, as seen on the Sky Sports website.
Wilshere will need to use the opportunity, if he starts the match, to re-establish himself amongst West Ham’s starting line-up ahead of Pellegrini’s second season in charge at the London Stadium next term.
West Ham have already been linked with a summer move for Newcastle United’s wantaway midfielder Isaac Hayden, as the club assess their midfield options ahead of next season, according to the Daily Star.
Therefore, Wilshere could be facing added competiton for a starting place in West Ham’s midfield next season, so will have to use the opportunity to impress against Watford and then prove his fitness during the summer.
