• Premier League

Brady: Wilshere up there with Hoddle and Gazza

ESPN staff
February 5, 2013
Jack Wilshere has been inspirational for Arsenal since his return, according to Liam Brady © PA Photos
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Jack Wilshere ranks alongside the likes of Glenn Hoddle, Paul Gascoigne and Wayne Rooney for England and will only get better for both club and country, according to Arsenal great Liam Brady.

The former Republic of Ireland international, who won the FA Cup with the Gunners in 1979, has hailed the 21-year-old's impact on Arsene Wenger's side since his return from the knee and ankle injuries that blighted his past two seasons.

Brady, who worked with Wilshere at the Arsenal youth academy, admits it was a tough road back for a player who assumes a natural leadership role in the centre of midfield, and he could not be sure if the youngster would return as the same player.

"We were all a bit nervous - it was 18 months - but he has improved with every game and his performance against Liverpool was outstanding," Brady told TalkSport.

"I think he will be up there with the very, very skilful creative English players. In my time it was Glenn Hoddle, Gascoigne came after that and then Rooney, and I think Wilshere will be in that mix.

"I think he is leading the team now, his pace is deceptive. He has a funny running style but he drifts past players - and he's only [young], he's only going to get better."

And Brady, who will step down from his role with the academy in 2014, believes Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny could do with a history lesson to avoid making any more high-profile mistakes after the Pole's erratic performance against Liverpool.

"I told him: 'Don't go looking for trouble, don't come charging out of the goal'," Brady added. "I played with two of the very best goalkeepers in Pat Jennings and Dino Zoff.

"He probably hadn't heard of him but I told him to Google them and watch them - they didn't go looking for trouble, they just dealt with the trouble when it arrived."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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