It was at the 2009 Emirates Cup that Jack Wilshere first came to mine and many people’s attention. As a baby-faced 17-year-old, he burst onto the scene at the pre-season tournament and by the end of it he was the name on everyone’s lips.
For most that year’s Emirates Cup was a mere friendly competition, a chance to get some fitness in ahead of the upcoming campaign. But not for Wilshere. Instead it was his opportunity to shine and show what all the fuss was about.
He tore Glasgow Rangers apart during the opening day’s action, scoring twice in a 3-0 win against a side who only 12 months ago had reached the final of the then UEFA Cup. Wilshere’s performance naturally drummed up the typical media hype, indeed the Daily Telegraph’s comparison to a young Paul Gascoigne.
