Wilshere Wants To Follow Fabregas' Lead

[EDITOR NOTE: Welcome new contributor Tyler Stellman to the blog family. He comes to us having written most recently for FourFourTwo.com. His first contribution is below and it was written before Arsenal's Champions League match with Barca today. That said, I think it becomes much more interesting in light of Wilshere's exceptional performance in that match. He looked a lot like Cesc the season before he added goal-scoring to his bag of tricks. Enjoy and thanks to Tyler for his contribution.]

Arsenal wonderkid Jack Wilshere has revealed he aims to follow Arsenal captain and teammate’s Cesc Fabregas lead in becoming a star midfielder for the Premier League side.

And Wilshere admits he has taken tips from Arsenal captain Fabregas, who won the World Cup with Spain in the summer and was controversially shown in a Barcelona kit soon after.

"Watching Cesc when he was younger and I was younger was the perfect opportunity to learn from him," said Wilshere according to The Guardian.

"Around the training ground he is helpful and when he is on the pitch he is telling me things to do. He tells me that I am not going to play every week, like he did, and that I have got to break through slowly and then get hopefully get in [to the team permanently]."

Wilshere was sent on a loan spell at Bolton last season, which proved to be helpful for the Hertfordshire born player. Bolton’s rough style of play did not necessarily suit Wilshere’s finesse style but the young midfielder left an impression on the team with fine performances against top opposition such as Chelsea.

“I think I had to go out on loan last year because there are world-class players at Arsenal and I had to get some games. I came back more experienced and stronger, and if you play regularly it makes it it easier for you," he explained.

“Playing for England was brilliant, a nice experience, and hopefully I can get some more games but at the moment I am just trying to concentrate on playing in the Arsenal first team.

“Sometimes I just had to pinch myself sitting in the changing room next to Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard. I was just happy to get on [as a second-half substitute].”

The young star went on to praise his club captain.

“For me, in the position he plays, Cesc is the best player in the world,” he added.

“That is shown with all the interest from the clubs who want him and people talking about him. That is what I want to be like – he is the perfect player to learn from.

“He is always talking to you – he is a good leader as well as a good player. Hopefully I can follow in his footsteps, to be as good as him would be nice.”

With Wilshere growing in both form and confidence and Fabregas rumored to be edging towards the exit door, Wilshere may have to take the lead off his mentor and captain sooner rather than later.

-Tyler Stellman