The 4 Areas in Which Arsenal's Jack Wilshere Has Improved

One year ago, Jack Wilshere was just beginning to return to fitness after spending more than a year on the sidelines with an ankle injury.

Last season saw the best and worst of the young English bulldog: By winter, he was back to his dynamic, unstoppable, box-to-box best, but another knock prevented him from contributing much to Arsenal's Champions League push.

Wilshere also seemed to lose the "Golden Boy" mantle to Aaron Ramsey, whose all-action, goalscoring performances this season have arguably made him the best midfielder in Europe.

But as Wilshere begins to get back to his best, as evidenced by his recent brace against Marseille, let's look at the four areas in which he has improved most this season over last.

Versatility

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Aaron Ramsey's worst period at Arsenal coincided with Arsene Wenger's foolish decision to maroon him on the left wing, where the Welshman has no business playing.

Similarly, Wenger has removed Wilshere from central midfield on numerous occasions this season to compensate for the loss of Theo Walcott on the right wing. While it is clear that Wilshere's best position is somewhere in the middle of the pitch, he has been far from a disaster on the right.

In fact, he has actually had spurts of excellence in a position he had not previously occupied in Arsenal's first team. Remember that jaw-dropping team goal against Norwich City? Wilshere was playing on the right.

Remember when Wilshere scored two goals against Marseille, the first of which was a perfect facsimile of Arjen Robben's style? He was playing on the right.

Now Wenger has more tactical options and Wilshere can use the dribbling skill he has honed on the wing when he returns to central midfield.

Goalscoring

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Jack Wilshere had appeared 82 times for Arsenal in all competitions before this season started and scored four goals. He has scored the same number of goals in the 19 games he has played this season.

That is partly the result of Arsene Wenger playing him in a more advanced role this season, albeit on the wing. But Wilshere has still needed a fair amount of footballing intelligence to convert his advantageous position into goals, drifting inside at the right moments.

Yet his two finishes against Marseille are indicative of a composed and thoroughly skilled marksman. Very few players can make his first curling finish seem so effortless and the second, while easier, required impressive patience and confidence.

Wenger joked after the match that Wilshere was taking a cue from Aaron Ramsey, but goalscoring seems to be a natural improvement for such a forward-thinking player.

Durability

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Wilshere still crumples to the turf in writhing agony too often for most Arsenal fans' liking, but the fact that he has played in 12 of the club's 13 Premier League matches is a marked improvement over his past injury record.

Even if we discount his lost season two years ago, Wilshere has very often appeared fragile. Though he frequently appeared on the bench at the end of last season, he was too injured really to contribute anything to the team and hardly played.

As James McNicholas notes, much of Wilshere's new-found durability is due to Arsene Wenger's decision to play him on the wing, which removes him from much of the ugly stuff that goes on in midfield.

Now that Wilshere has regained much of what he lost, he will be better able to remain healthy when put back into the middle, with all the confidence and form that accompanies actually playing matches.

Confidence

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Wilshere's recent success, despite a bumpy patch toward the beginning of the season, seems to have given him back the confidence he always has when he is playing well.

He gestures to his teammates, is very vocal and does not hesitate to take on defenders or make a run into the box. He would be much better at all these things if he was playing in midfield, but the shift to the right has not detracted from his assertiveness and self-belief.

And while his status as a young English star will always earn him attention from Arsenal's website and the English media in general, his recent interviews are indicative of a player who is maturing into a leader.

Wilshere advocates for his teammates and avoids hubris when a more impulsive 21-year-old might feel inclined to beat his chest after a significant victory.

One expects this from a professional footballer, of course, but professionalism and moderation in front of the media are significant indicators of maturation and leadership potential.

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