Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal squads in the late 2000s and early 2010s contained a number of outstanding players.
The likes of Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry and Alexis Sanchez all represented the Gunners in these periods, producing several world-class seasons.
Santi Cazorla has been cited by many as one of the most gifted players at Wenger’s disposal, although his injuries perhaps meant the Spaniard went under the radar.
However, a somewhat surprising name has been mooted by Alex Iwobi as his Arsenal idol.
Alex Iwobi reveals that Jack Wilshere was his idol at Arsenal
Iwobi made 149 appearances for Arsenal between 2016 and 2019.
The talented Nigerian winger came through the Hale End academy system and was blooded by Wenger, before eventually being sold by Unai Emery to Everton.
“One thing about Arsene is he always liked my style of play, where I’m always trying to get on the half turn and go forward, play forward,” Iwobi told the Inside Scoop.
“For a lot of people in midfield, it’s not always easy to scan, they just set the ball because it’s the easiest option. He always said, ‘when you receive the ball, keep on checking your shoulders and try and go forward’, which is what I used to do in training.
“When I was playing matches, he was like, ‘no disrespect but you’re not going to play against Arsenal standard all the time so it’ll be easier to find space and turn’.”
Iwobi was part of a talented squad that included the aforementioned Sanchez and Cazorla, as well as playmaking genius Mesut Ozil.
However, the now Fulham star cited Jack Wilshere as his Arsenal idol, claiming that the Englishman was ‘the best’ at no-touch turns.
“Obviously when you have [Mesut] Ozil, Alexis [Sanchez], they made it easier for me. We also had Jack Wilshere in the team, he was my idol and the best at no-touch turns and playing forward.
“He just said, ‘whenever you can, play forward’. Any time I’m playing now, whether it’s Everton, Fulham, or Nigeria, I’m always trying to be positive and make something happen.”
What Jack Wilshere said about Alex Iwobi in 2016
Wilshere was indeed renowned for his ability to receive the ball in difficult areas and turn immaculately without actually touching the ball.
However, the now Norwich City coach is rarely cited by former Arsenal players as someone they looked to base their game on, with injuries derailing his career significantly.
Having said that, as a fellow Hale End graduate, Iwobi would’ve witnessed Wilshere’s rise from the academy and taken inspiration from that.
Wilshere reciprocated Iwobi’s thoughts, praising the Nigeria international shortly after he’d broken into the first team in 2016.
“I really like him as a player,” Wilshere told Arsenal.com.
“I watched him in the FA Youth Cup last year, and you could always tell there was something special about him.
“He used to train with us quite a lot. He was young, so he never really got a look in when he came over, but you could tell he had something special and he has really matured.
“If you ask anyone, it looks like he has been in the team for a number of years. He is confident, technically he is great, he fits in and physically he doesn’t look like a 20-year-old.”
Iwobi has waxed lyrical about Bukayo Saka recently, with the 23-year-old following in Wilshere’s footsteps of becoming the poster boy for Hale End.
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