Declan Rice is a thoroughly decent young footballer, he plays with the same ability if not better than many seasoned professionals, so his opinion matters, particularly as he is seen as the eventual successor to Mark Noble as club captain should the club manage to hold on to his services despite the constant rumours regarding clubs keen to acquire the England International. So on first reading the headline for his comments regarding Jack Wilshere and the ex-Arsenal players return to the first team, most long suffering West Ham fans would agree, sadly it is ridiculous to suggest that Jack will ever be fit for more than the briefest of windows!
On closer inspection it transpires that Declan actually meant that Wilshere could make a significant difference to the team, perhaps the poor lad has been playing to much FIFA? He very kindly said "I think one thing that’s good for us now is that we don’t have anyone injured, everyone is back available and fit. ‘One player I want to see back playing is Jack Wilshere. I think he’ll make a difference, the guy is ridiculous in training, the quality he’s got, I just want to see him play injury-free again. I know that’s what he wants and he’ll make such a difference to our side, .........as well as everyone else?
Well, Jack Wilshere does make a difference to the club, however that difference is that his £100,000 per week wages could and should have been used so much more effectively, he has made just eight appearances for West Ham this season and sixteen in total over his nearly two years at the club, by the end of his contract he will have received £15 Million! There is a distinct possibility that by his contract's end he will have ended up costing an eye watering £600,000 per game, and that figure could be even higher eventually, but you have to take your cap off to his agent, what a guy? Not only does he negotiate insanely brilliant deals for his client, he is also able to get 'pet' newspapers like the Daily Mail and it's subsidiaries to run ludicrously optimistic but totally unreal stories about his client's perpetual return to fitness which has had more return dates than a Status Quo farewell tour.
You never know, as they say "there is a bum for every seat", and if the subterfuge about Wilshere's fitness works, it may have been part of a very 'cunning plan' to offload the midfielder, maybe Newcastle might believe he can walk on water, after all they took Andy Carroll back didn't they? And sometimes 'ridiculous' can happen, it just depends on your interpretation of the word. - Ed
Comments
I think you are absolutely
I think you are absolutely right, Rice has been playing too much FIFA. Its a real shame about Wiltshire, clearly the guy had talent but lets not kid ourselves, had he been more robust in fitness he would have stayed at Arse for at least another 10 years.
As for moving to Newcastle, I dont see a multimillionaire Londoner moving anywhere north of Watford and maybe them or say a Charlton will be obvious last move.