Jack Wilshere has been watching a lot of footage of Spanish legend Xabi Alonso lately, and for good reason. The former Real Madrid and Liverpool man has recently broken both the records for number of passes and number of touches in a single match and Wilshere hopes to take inspiration from him. Not a bad reference to have to be fair, and for Arsenal’s sake I hope Wilshere can emulate Xabi Alonso.  Arsenal were once linked with the player when he was on the books at Liverpool, and the man has shown no signs of aging since. He is up there with the elite of central midfielders, and if Wilshere is to make that final leap (which I fully expect him to), I see this as a fantastic way to help him accomplish this.

Wilshere had this to say about Alonso, and also mentioned Italian hero Andrea Pirlo:

“I have been watching Xabi Alonso on video in the past couple of weeks. He had a record number of passes in one game, 200 in one match, which is ridiculous.”

“Watching players like him and Andrea Pirlo you learn how intelligent they are on the ball. In that role it’s important to understand that if you lose the ball the opposition are in a dangerous position to counter-attack.”

“You learn how they use the ball and you learn when it’s a good time to dribble or sometimes pass. I enjoy playing that role. I enjoy getting on the ball and starting attacks.”

“I get clips of Alonso through on my iPad. The analyst guys here send them to me and they highlight some of his key points, his key strengths. It’s a 20- to 25-minute package.”

Wilshere has looked sharp on his return from injury, and looks to be returning to his best. Now is the time he must kick on I have no doubt Jack will soon be among the world’s very best. He has the engine and the ability, and he has shown he can score goals and assist, so consistency is the key for him now.

Click below to see Arsenal’s latest signing…