Jack Wilshere has claimed that Arsenal star Granit Xhaka is a ‘misunderstood’ player by the fans, but behind the scenes at Arsenal, he is ‘one of the most loved’.
The Arsenal academy coach praised Xhaka for turning his career around in north London because it did hit a rocky patch when he was wearing the captain’s armband.
Just as Mikel Arteta had walked through the doors to replace Unai Emery, the captaincy was taken off Xhaka and it seemed as though he was going to leave the club.
But a little pep talk from Arteta convinced the 29-year-old to remain in the Premier League, which has been a call that has worked out because he is now one of Arsenal’s key players.
Yes, the hard-hitting midfielder does have a tendency to like the colour red, as he has proved during his career in England, including getting sent off twice last season.
But Wilshere made it clear that’s because the player in question ‘cares’, as he spoke about what Xhaka is like at the training ground, as he told Premier League Productions (04/09/22 at 1:30 pm).
“That’s a credit to him (on Xhaka turning his Arsenal career around),” said Wilshere. “When I first came, he was probably the reason I went on loan. That first season he was here, I went to Bournemouth, came back, got back into the team, played with him and I loved playing with him.
“I think he was a little misunderstood at times. He was naturally a leader. He has grown into that role since he has been at the club. He is the one who sets standards in training. He wants to do everything right. Be on time. He talks to everyone around the training ground and is one of the most loved on the training ground.
“He is a player who plays on the edge. He is big for the team because of his leadership and technical ability on the ball. I think he has learned to handle his temperament a little bit better. He is getting better and better, the fans are starting to see that as well.
“There was a lot of repairing to do with the fans. That’s what I mean where he was a bit misunderstood because he would play on the edge, then he would sometimes get sent off. But that was because he cared.”
XHAKA NOW AN UNSUNG HERO
Unfortunately for Xhaka, he will always have a label over his head at Arsenal because of how certain parts of his career in London have panned out.
That will always mean he will be a marmite-like figure with fans of his own club, the media and those watching from the outside.
But since the start of last season, he has been an unsung hero for the club and one of Arteta’s better players.
This season, the Switzerland international has played further forward, and the introduction of Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back, has allowed that because he does like to tuck into the middle of the park.
