Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere set for England recall

Gareth Southgate has hinted Jack Wilshere will earn his first England call up since November 2016 following his impressive return to form and fitness with Arsenal.

The Three Lions manager set Wilshere the challenge back in November of playing regular Premier League football to have any chance of forcing his way back into reckoning ahead of the 2018 World Cup.

Wilshere started the season out of the team at Arsenal but is currently enjoying one of his best periods for the Gunners after seemingly putting his injury woes behind him.

England aren’t due to play their first international fixture of 2018 until the end of March but Southgate has hinted Wilshere is poised to return to the international scene for the first time in 14 months.

“With someone like Jack it’s a real plus to see him playing at the level he is and looking as fit as he is,” The Independent quote Southgate as saying at the Uefa Nations League draw on Wednesday.

“We know his quality, for him to be starting now in regular games, two games a week, playing at a high level is a real bonus for us.

“We picked him in a couple of squads last season. But I’ve got to say his level of performance is way above what is was then. He’s going to Bournemouth on the back of a long-term injury, so there’s some understanding that physically it was going to take time to recover from.  He’s really playing well now and influencing big games which is good.

“People talk about selection headaches, we want those sorts of decisions because we want those sorts of players available. Roy was always clear how he viewed Jack whenever I spoke to him and our experience in squads he was in he was a really good lad to have in the group. For us it’s a bonus he’s playing well.”

The 26-year-old has started in each of Arsenal’s last eight Premier League matches and averages an impressive WhoScored rating of 7.53 from starts alone across Premier League and European competition.