Capello Lauds Jack Wilshere As England’s Saviour – Too Much Too Young?

Chris Wright

28th, January 2011

10 Comments

By Chris Wright

With 33-year-old Emile Heskey out of the running, 25-year-old Wayne Rooney gradually being found out as the hod carrier he really is, and 21-year-old Theo Walcott seemingly fated to be stuck in ‘excited puppy in a waxed hallway’ mode for the rest of his career, it’s high time for England’s next messianic saviour to be identified, burdened accordingly, then smeared into a fine paste under the weight of a nation’s monolithically self-important footballing pretensions.

Step forward, 19-year-old Jack Wilshere, who, according to Fabio Capello (via an interview with the Daily Telegraph) is to be groomed, starting with England’s friendly against Denmark on February 9th, into the national side’s ‘Claude Makelele’ – only better:

“Wilshere will be one of the new players [to play against Denmark). I’ve monitored him for five months and he has improved a lot.

“I want to try to put him in this position in front of the defence. He is mature enough to play this role.

“Wilshere is better technically than Makelele, though Makelele was faster. When he receives the ball, Wilshere is more dangerous than Makelele.

“Wilshere is the best new young player and playing all the time with Arsenal.

“If you play with Arsenal, you are a really good player. Wenger likes the good player.

“It is important for Wilshere to understand that he will be the future.”

Got that? Wilshere is a slower-though-several-times-better-player than Makelele (of the ‘Makelele role’ fame) ever was and, for the record, he’s also the best young player out there.

2012’s going to be our year, I can just feel it…

Posted in International football

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10 Comments

  1. Jack Rodwell says:

    whut aboot me?

  2. Blake says:

    Holding midfielder? I thought he was more of a creative, expressive playmaker.

  3. The Yank says:

    England don’t need a “savior”. They need to build and improve as a team. There is talent in the England squad and once they start understanding each other like Germany and Argentina do, they can start playing like it. Capello is a good coach but needs to unify the squad to strengthen it as a whole, not look to one player for miracles.

  4. greg says:

    i imagine Capello sees him playing as a deep-lying playmaker, like a Xabi Alonso type role for Spain. Much like Alonso he’s got a fantastic range of passing, however he’s alot more gifted technically on the ball than Alonso. i think he’s got the tenacity of Makelele and the work ethic but i think he doesnt have the defensive wherewithal as a Makelele type. we’ll just have to wait and see how he develops then i guess

  5. joshua says:

    The comment regarding Walcott was brilliant.

  6. mike damone says:

    I’m curious as to what a waxed hallway looks like.

    Then again, perhaps I shouldn’t be?

  7. jojo says:

    love to see him play, such a gifted and gracious player, so un-english. but since when will one player be the “saviour”? messi could’nt do it on his own in a better team… the english press should cut that bs out.

  8. Varun says:

    Here we go with the English once again.
    Just quit football none of you are any good.

  9. Luke says:

    “Wenger likes the good player” has meme potential

  10. […] week or so after proclaiming him to be the future of English football, the best young player in the known universe, the new (but slower) Claude Makelele and the saviour […]

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