West Ham United parted company with midfielder Jack Wilshere on transfer deadline day, with the free agent opening up on his frustration after being released by the club.
The Hammers signed the 28-year-old from Arsenal in 2018, but the former England international spent long periods of time on the sidelines and only featured in 16 Premier League games.
Wilshere’s injury record from his time at both Arsenal and West Ham has been abysmal, with the midfielder struggling with consistent setbacks.
With the Hammers not using the playmaker much during his time at the club, most outsiders would have pointed to more potential unavailability due to a lack of fitness.
However, Wilshere has taken aim at West Ham after the termination of his contract, stating that he was fit and able to play for the majority of the time he was with the London Stadium side.
“When I joined the club in the summer of 2018 I joined with great hopes and expectations and was excited to join the club I’d supported as a young boy,” the former Hammer told Sky Sports.
“Unfortunately, despite all of my best efforts and intentions, it has not worked out as I’d expected. I have been fully fit for a large period of time at the club, including over the course of the last eight months – training hard everyday – but unfortunately I have not been given the opportunity to play.
“Although I am of course frustrated that I was not able to fully showcase what I am capable of at West Ham I remain convinced that I can still contribute at the very top of the game.
“I am still incredibly hungry, ambitious and desperate to play football and achieve success. I’m still only 28 and feel fit, strong and ready to play.
“I’m looking forward to the future and hope to make an announcement about the next stage of my career in due course.”
Given that West Ham have lacked a bit of creativity in the centre of their midfield and Wilshere has proven in the past that he can be an excellent Premier League player, it seems slightly odd that he was not given more chances to play if he was fit to feature for the club.
Hammers boss David Moyes has recently preferred the likes of Tomas Soucek, Declan Rice and Mark Noble in the heart of the side’s midfield, while Robert Snodgrass is also an option in the position.
Wilshere’s time at West Ham will not be looked at favourably by the fans, especially given the reportedly sizeable wages the midfielder picked up over the last two years.