Has Jack Wilshere Excelled At Bournemouth?

When Jack Wilshere left Arsenal in August to join Bournemouth on loan for the season, his explanation was that he needed to play regular football.

It was an understandable motivation, although it still feels as if he made his decision in a fit of pique having been left out of the England squad. At that point he was being eased into action by Arsene Wenger, with two substitute appearances, and there was never any real doubt that he’d get playing time at Arsenal had he stayed.

When Santi Cazorla picked up an injury in October, it might have been just the door Wilshere needed to be opened. The Gunners needed somebody with some craft in the centre of midfield, and he could have been the man to provide it were he not elsewhere.

However, he made his decision and on the basis that he needed to play football week in, week out, it seems to have worked out quite well. Clearly fitness issues are the big question mark over Wilshere. The talent and ability is there, we’ve seen it before, but when you’re sidelined for significant periods of time you’re never able to play to your full potential.

Since his arrival at Bournemouth, the 24-year-old has appeared in 14 of the 15 Premier League games the Cherries have played. The only one he missed was the visit to the Emirates to face Arsenal, as Premier League rules preclude loanees playing against their parent club.

For a man who has struggled to play consistently, that’s a positive step, but it’s just the first part of his task if he wants to come back to Arsenal and sign a new deal. Currently he has just 18 months left on his contract, and the summer is probably going to be a time when a decision has to be made.

Do Arsenal keep him and offer him new terms, or decide it’s time to get what they can for a player who can leave for nothing in 12 months’ time?

That decision is likely to be influenced by the second half of Wilshere’s season, and how he performs for Eddie Howe’s side. In his 14 appearances he’s yet to score a goal, and has just a single assist to his name.

Some of that will come from the fact Bournemouth are a team for whom Premier League survival is the name of the game, and they’re not going to dominate matches the way certain big clubs do. Some too will be because 14 appearances is still a relatively small amount of football.

But having proved he can stay fit, Wilshere has to start producing. He is a creative player, one who grew up at Arsenal as a No. 10, and although goals and assists aren’t the only measure of a player’s worth or performance, it would be good to see him build on the fitness and make tangible contributions to games.

The worry is that all the time he’s spent out injured, missing almost two full seasons as well as other significant periods, has stunted his development as a player. They’re formative years where regular football plays a big part in developing the natural talent and ability.

There’s no doubt that on his day Wilshere is one of England’s most exciting midfielders, but those days have been too few and far between during the past couple of seasons.

He chose to go to Bournemouth to reignite his career, and the second half of this season is his chance to show that he’s still got what it takes to play at the highest level.