Jack on winning start to 2024 & No More Red

Jack Wilshere reflected on a triumphant start to the new year as our under-18s beat Aston Villa 3-2 in an eventful encounter.

Kamarni Ryan's goal and two penalties converted by Michal Rosiak made it a joyous start to the new year for our young Gunners.

“I thought it was exciting,” said Wilshere. “We came here last season and lost with a similar team, and I wanted to see how far we have progressed, and the players were excellent.

“Especially coming back from a long break, it's not always easy, but it does give you a chance to reflect on the season so far and implement new things, and I felt the players did that very well.

“We found our rhythm straight away and dominated. Yes, we have to look at how we are conceding goals when we’re on top, but overall, the team's performance was really good.”

Jack was complimentary of Ismeal Kabia, who was a standout player, making only his second start of the season since recovering from injury.

“Kabia was brilliant. I remember after the Derby game when he came on and made an impact by scoring the winning goal.

“He’s shown his quality over the last few weeks in training and has been pushing me to start the game. He got his opportunity today, and he was exceptional. It’s always a good sign when the opposition defender gets substituted, so credit Kabia; he was outstanding.”

He also spoke highly of Rosiak’s mentality as the midfielder stepped up to take three penalties.

“It’s a unique situation. It's not often that you take three penalty kicks in a game, but credit to him for continuing to step up after missing the first one.

“His technique is his biggest strength which we’ve seen from his free kicks that he scores and he’s always confident in a dead-ball situation. Overall, he was brilliant on the ball too; he made an exceptional pass to Omari Benjamin en route to winning the final penalty, and he controlled the game from the middle.”

To conclude, Jack spoke commendably on the No More Red campaign - an initiative launched in partnership with adidas to tackle the root causes of youth violence and provide safe spaces and opportunities for our young people. As part of the campaign, both Arsenal Men’s and Women's first teams will wear a special white shirt in their upcoming FA Cup fixtures.

“In terms of Community work, this club is up there with one of the best, and even at the academy level, we try to encourage our players to give back. Credit to the players; they volunteered to go to the Arsenal Hub to meet participants over Christmas and donate to Islington Foodbank, which was brilliant.

“The No More Red campaign is so important as we are seeing what’s happening on the streets of London, and if we can educate people, create safe spaces, and have role models with the Arsenal teams wearing the shirt, then let’s hope we can make a difference.”