Bournemouth midfielder Jack Wilshere has admitted regrets while with Arsenal.
Wilshere is only 29 and reflects on his 34 caps with pride and regret. His talent was never in doubt – just his fitness.
He told the Daily Mail: “I remember having conversations with the physios in my first year in the Arsenal team. They were like: ‘Look, you’re playing a lot…’ I told them: ‘I want to play.’
“I was living the dream. I was 19, playing for Arsenal. We were challenging for the Premier League, in the Champions League. No one was going to tell me I needed a rest. That’s one of my biggest regrets – I wish I’d listened to physios a little more, learned more about my body.
“He has also regretted not listening to physios and learned more about his body growing up
“Now everyone wears a GPS. You’re looked after. That wasn’t around when I was younger. I’ve heard many people over the years say I attract the challenge. That’s my game – get the player close, do a one-two, dribble around. I still try to play like that.
“But if I could go back and change one thing, it would be to manage the games, manage myself better and listen to the physios more. It’s easy to say now.”