Former Arsenal man Jack Wilshere has hailed ‘this’ Tottenham man.
Jack Wilshere has raised more than a few eyebrows by going on record to praise Roberto De Zerbi in glowing terms, with the former Arsenal midfielder declaring his genuine admiration for the Tottenham head coach in comments that will have taken many Spurs supporters completely by surprise.
Wilshere is not a figure who generates warm feelings among the Tottenham fanbase. As an Arsenal academy graduate who has rarely missed an opportunity to mock or needle Spurs throughout his media career, his words are usually met with considerable scepticism in north London. On this occasion, however, the praise was unambiguous and clearly sincere.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Wilshere was asked about Tottenham’s survival prospects and used the question as an opportunity to deliver a verdict on De Zerbi that went considerably further than diplomatic respect between former rivals. He said (h/t TBR Football):
“One thing about Tottenham, Spurs now is I love De Zerbi. I love him as a coach and as a young coach like looking at an influence a coach can have on a team and the way they play. I love him. I do. I love him. So I think they’ve got a chance with him.”
The repetition is telling. This was not a reluctant acknowledgement dragged out of someone who would rather say nothing positive about anything connected to Tottenham. It was genuine, enthusiastic admiration from a man who knows the game deeply and recognises quality coaching when he sees it. That De Zerbi has drawn that response from one of Arsenal’s most prominent former players is a measure of how widely respected the Italian has become across the football world.
Wilshere addressed Tottenham’s disastrous season
Wilshere also acknowledged that Tottenham’s dreadful season had not entirely blindsided him. Before a ball was kicked this campaign, he predicted Spurs would win just five league matches, a figure they have since surpassed with nine victories, though the overall picture has been bleak enough to validate the spirit of his pessimism if not the precise number.
The timing of his De Zerbi endorsement matters. With two games remaining and Tottenham two points above the relegation zone, the Italian needs every source of confidence he can find ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Stamford Bridge. Even Wilshere, a man who has spent much of his career making Spurs supporters groan, believes De Zerbi gives them a genuine chance of survival. For Tottenham fans, that unlikely endorsement may be one of the more unusual reasons for cautious optimism heading into the final stretch.