The Daily Mirror reports Jack Wilshere will be offered a 5 year professional contract when he turns 17 next year, following on from the news that Arsene Wenger will promote the Luton born youngster to the first team next season.
Wilshere signed a long term scholarship deal in January, which will come into effect this summer but the fact we have already offered him a professional contract shows how highly he is rated. Especially because players are usually given pro terms around September time, and when they are usually 17/18.
Liam Brady and David Court will take heart from this news, added to the news that last year all the scholars signed professional contracts for the first time since the Academy began. Jack’s progress has shown that the quality and technical standards of the system are improving dramatically every year.
Before we go to the second news story, just two bits of website news to update you with.
1) For all those people who asked about e-mail updates, Yogis Warrior from A Cultured Left Foot, and Chris from Gooner Talk have helped set one up ill add it to the site a little later.
2) I’m writing an article for The Gunners Post, a Norwegian based Arsenal magazine later this month. So stay locked for that.
Some people may remember that last year i wrote an article about the poor state of Underhill, if you did not catch i would suggest you have a look before reading any further. Click Here
Well yesterday the Barnet chairman Dennis Signy announced he is going to plow money into its redevlopment, and even included a detailed plan of the new facilties coming to the stadium with the work expected to happen over the summer break.
Phase One – Site expansion will take place, allowing easier access for the emergency services. Extra parking and better overall security. Brand new turnstiles, toilets and offices in and around the stadium.
Phase Two – Two brand new covered stands and one with added disabled viewing, which the club say the plans are drawn up and they are just waiting the final approval of.
Phase Three – Better catering services, with a wider selection of foods and drinks avaible on site. Added to that a brand new floodlight system, which will have added power meaning they will be bigger and brighter than before.
The club also announced they will redevelop the Prince Edward Playing Fields in the local area, and are just waiting for EDF energy to contact them with a quote for the work. Barnet say the total cost of the work will reach around 11 thousand pounds plus VAT. Read more about that on the clubs official website.
Article By – J.Sanderson
Good lad Jack.
Are they keeping the slope?
definately, very impressive prospect and what a season he has had.
Looking forward to reading the article in The Gunners Post. Is ii in the magazine or just on the website?
In the linked article, you mentioned that the actual pitch was the cause for concern, yet the only problems that Barnet appear to be addressing are two of the stands, some toilets and bad food. This seems to hardly improve the playing surface, which you highlighted as the main cause for concern. So, are these ‘improvements’ actually improvements for the young Arsenal lads?
Great site. Keep it up.
Great news about Wilshire’s new contract! :) And also good news about the redevelopment of Underhill. But of course the thing that made me most excited was the news about Wilshire’s contract. I REALLY hope he’ll make it at Arsenal and be someone we can enjoy watching in the first team for many years to come! :)
Improvements for the fans, which is more important IMO ;)
In fairness over the final few games of the season the pitch issues look like they were addressed, because the surface looked much better,
So it seems they were working hard on it recently, added to these new plans.
Is there a reason why the reserves couldn’t just play at Emirates?
cost reasons, we have to pay for police running costs as well as the damage to the pitch.
Its cheaper to have they at Underhill
I have only seen a 1 clip of wilshere in tube but i dont know that much about. But the fact the club are willing 2 put him in the 1st team like u said shows how much the club rate him.
I think you have to apply 8 days before a big game, because of police issues. I remember the Carling Cup game against Liverpool that was post-poned because of fog. Both teams wanted to play it the next day but the police would not accept it.
Could the bad pitch at Underhill be a good learning experience for the youngsters? If they make it at the club, they’re eventually going to have to make trips to places like Wigan to play in their bog, so a little practice at this level might be helpful? They play on pristine pitches in the U-18s, and presumably train on them, so their technique won’t suffer, but they will learn strategies to help them play on lower quality surfaces.
I’ll be looking forward to read your article in The gunners post
Hi from norway :P
When they say the first team, are they saying Wilshere could be in the squad for premiership games ?
well not yet but he would spend time training with the first team and maybe some minutes in the Carling Cup
i doudt it marcus just bench, cup games and mabye europe but the prem i dont see him making many apperances there next season mabye the season after
Great sire this – keep it up!
I’d like to see Wilshire, Gibbs, Barazite and
I’m not an expert when it comes to judging players so I won’t comment on Wilsheres’ ability but it’s clear from having watched Reserve/Youth highlights, on ArsenalTv Online, that Jack absolutely loves playing football, it’s like he has this unquenchable thirst to get the ball. He remind me of Rooney in that respect.
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Is there any news on the club looking at any kind of protection from the wind for the youngsters?
The pitch is great but it is far too open to the wind etc.
Looking forward to seeing Wilshere getting some game time next season, pos even on the 7 man bench in the league.
I thought Wilshere only turned 16 in January, so it will be a while before he can sign the next contract if it’s not until his next birthday?
The club really must have a lot of confidence in him if they are ready to offer him a professional contract already. I just hope his head doesn’t get turned as he could not be at a better club for his development and Arsene will not be afraid to use him in the first team if he is good enough.
He is a very exciting player to watch and it would be great to see a player who has been at the club since he was 9 make it to the first team.
FC Laval’s midfielder Francis Coquelin, 17, is also expected to join Arsenal after a successful trial earlier this month
http://youngguns.wordpress.com/2008/05/13/stade-lavalloiss-coquelin-completes-arsenal-trial/
Hmmm ill investigate
Excellent news about young Jack. I have real high hopes for this lad and it seems he’s not alone in what seems to be a really exciting group of lads that are coming through. It appears all the hard work put into assembling possibly the best group of football’s young talent will eventually see Arsenal rewarded for their efforts. I predict in two to three years time the competion for 1st team places will be fierce and any worries we may currently have will have long evaporated by the time players like Wilshire, Vela, Nordveidt, Barazite, Randall, Botelho & Merida (apologies for any not mentioned) mature.
Great news, great player, real potential, i really hope we see him in the Carling Cup squad next season, at least from the bench.
People, don’t expect too much from him next season. Remember that he is only 16 years old, 5 years younger than Fabregas. When Cesc was at the same age he only played in the Carling Cup and Cesc was the youngest one ever to play for the club. We might well see him on the bench in the Carling Cup next season and perhaps on the 7-man bench in the EPL a couple of time, at most. He needs time and he will not be a superstar next season. He will be good but just be prepared to wait for his time.
wilshere’s a winger right? so i guess if rosicky leaves or hleb leaves when his contract expires, wilshere could be shooting up like a rocket. remember, cesc’s success (wow, what a mouthful) comes from vieira leaving, gael’s success comes from cashley leaving, adebayor’s “success” and walcott’s dramatical improvement comes from henry leaving. not that i’m suggesting we shouldn’t buy anyone so wilshere will fit in the squad now. i’m just saying that when we need our young guns step up to the mark they deliver. big time.
Tribalfootball seem to have announced that Francis Coquelin will be signing….not that that means its true!! Anyone heard anything?!
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