JACK WILSHERE finally knows how to treat his body.
The Arsenal midfielder has paid the price with injuries — losing his place for club and country — with his all-action style.
But the 25-year-old is ready to fight for regular football ahead of the World Cup by staying fit, even if that means missing training to stay in top shape.
Wilshere said: “As you get older things change naturally anyway. I know my body a little bit better. There might be some days when I have had to miss a training session and the boss has been brilliant.
“I have trained most of the time. But on the odd occasion when I am feeling a bit tired and know my body is at risk of picking up an injury I speak with the boss and he lets me stay inside.
“As I’ve got older I’ve got wiser and learnt you can’t go out there every day.
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“You have to be fresh for the game and be ready and that is what I have been concentrating on more this year.”
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger ruled out a January loan for Wilshere and insisted he looks sharp enough to compete for a regular first-team spot.
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He has only been starting Europa League and Carabao Cup matches but is confident of staying at the club beyond the end of his contract in the summer, when he also hopes to be in Russia with England.
Wilshere said: “Of course I think I’m good enough. I felt that even when I was a 16-year-old and I was with players here at Arsenal who were international players, and I believed I was good enough to be in the team.
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“If you don’t believe in yourself, then who is going to believe in you?
“All you do is feel confident in yourself that if you get the opportunity to get into the team, you’ll hopefully improve the team. If the opportunity comes this weekend, I’ll be ready.”
Harry Winks and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have both moved ahead of Wilshere in the pecking order for England.
Boss Gareth Southgate also has Eric Dier and Jake Livermore as squad regulars.
Wilshere said: “Of course I want to play for my country. The manager seems to not favour me, in that he hasn’t picked me recently.
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“He picked me once and since then I’ve not been in. He said he wants me to be playing regularly in the Premier League and fair enough, that’s what I have to do.
“I have been playing in the Europa League and I’ve felt I’ve done well. I will work hard to get into the Premier League team, and ultimately into the England team.”
Wilshere says he is ready and available for Wenger, starting with today’s trip to Southampton.
He added: “I have been wanting to play for ages. I have spoken to the manager and he knows I want to play in the Premier League.”
On his contract, he said: “I think, ‘what’s going to happen?’ I’ve got six months left. But once I’m at the training ground, I’m focused, preparing for the next game.”
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