Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger always had an eye for exceptional talent – under the Frenchman’s guidance, the likes of Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Nicolas Anelka and Cesc Fabregas rose to international prominence and became true superstars of the game.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest football managers of all time, Wenger often scouted players from lesser-known leagues or youth systems during his 22-year tenure at the Emirates, and frequently provided opportunities for promising local talents to shine on the biggest stages.
While he named the likes of Dennis Bergkamp and Tony Adams among the three best players he ever coached, Wenger was also once full of praise for a former England midfielder, whom he handed his Arsenal debut at the age of 17.
Wenger compared him to both Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, praising his ‘fantastic football brain’ and expressing regret that the ‘exceptionally’ talented footballer was forced to end his career very early.
Arsene Wenger Related
Arsene Wenger Named 2 Players he Regrets Not Signing the Most for Arsenal
Arsene Wenger came desperately close to signing the duo who he wished he had the chance to manage at Arsenal.
Arsene Wenger Praises Jack Wilshere
‘He is a bit of a Messi type’
Jack Wilshere
Wenger, as quoted by MailOnline, once compared former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere to Messi and Mbappe, and praised his ‘very strong’ mentality:
“Jack Wilshere is a playmaker. He is a bit of a Messi type.
“He makes me think about Mbappe because I played him at 17 years of age because he was an exceptional talent.
“Unfortunately he has been stopped very early by big injuries to his ankle, and I believe that now he's come out of it.
“He's an exceptional player - he can pass people, he can give a final ball, he has a fantastic football brain.
“He is a great guy as well because when you have gone through what he has gone through medically you need to be mentally very strong. He can take pressure, believe me.”
Once regarded as one of England’s brightest talents, Wilshere saw his promising career heavily disrupted by persistent injuries that curtailed his development despite early flashes of brilliance.
The former Three Lions international burst onto the scene with a stunning display against Barcelona in the 2010/11 season, when he starred against one of the greatest midfields in football history, featuring Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets.
That same season, he went on to win the PFA Young Player of the Year award and made his debut for England, for whom he ended up making just 34 appearances and scoring two goals.
Wilshere spent almost a decade with Arsenal’s first-team squad, winning two FA Cups and a Community Shield, before departing to West Ham on a free transfer in 2018.
He retired in the summer of 2022 after a short spell with Danish side Aarhus and last worked for Norwich City as a first-team coach during the 2024/25 season.
Jack Wilshere Related
Jack Wilshere Named the One Footballer He'd 'Spend His Last £10' to Watch
Former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere named a Barcelona icon as the one footballer he would pay to watch.
Statistics courtesy ofTransfermarkt. Correct as of 0 1 -0 7 -25.