• London Olympics 2012

Wilshere chooses Arsenal over Team GB

Jack Wilshere is fouled by Johan Djourou © Getty Images

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After being ruled out of the European Championship on Monday, Arsenal's Jack Wilshere has withdrawn himself from London 2012 contention as he bids to be fully fit to start next season.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger revealed at the start of the week that Wilshere, 20, would not be available for England at this summer's tournament in Poland and Ukraine due to his ongoing recovery from ankle surgery that has kept him out of the season to date.

However, as the ankle has almost healed and it is now primarily a matter of strengthening the leg and getting fully fit, Wilshere could be fit enough to play for Stuart Pearce's Team GB by the time the Olympic Games gets underway.

Wilshere has taken the advice of Wenger, however, and will miss out on the second big tournament of the summer in order to give himself the best chance of being ready to help Arsenal's campaign from the start next season.

Rather than join a host of other athletes in the Olympic village, he will spend his summer at the club's training ground getting into peak condition.

"The hardest thing is being away from the game that I love and not being to able to help my team-mates get third place!," Wilshere said on Twitter. "I will be in all summer trying to get fit so I can help the team next season! No holidays, I just want to play and show Arsenal fans what I can do!"

A number of other players at the club could be involved in Pearce's squad, including Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey and Kieran Gibbs - although Wenger has never hidden his preference for his young players to miss such events and will likely advise them not to participate.

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