Changes Arsenal's Jack Wilshere Must Make to Live Up to Xavi's World Star Claim

Remember Jack Wilshere? Well Xavi certainly does.

The former Barcelona and Spain star was in the news recently when he claimed Wilshere—who is in danger of becoming Arsenal and England’s forgotten man as he once again sits on the sidelines—can still reach the very top of the world game.

As relayed by the MailOnline's Simeon Gholam, Xavi told ESPN FC:

"

I have played against him, I have watched him carefully, and if he can overcome injuries, then he can still go on and be one of the best midfield players in the world. 

For many years now the one position England have not struggled with is world-class midfield players. [Paul] Scholes, and then more recently [Frank] Lampard and [Steven] Gerrard.

Now I see Wilshere as the future of English football. That is why it is so important they keep him fit.

"

That, of course, remains a big if, but what are the overall changes Wilshere needs to make in order to live up to Xavi’s billing?

Here are three.

Stop Getting Injured

ADRIAN DENNIS/Getty Images

We’ll start with the obvious one, then, shall we?

Wilshere can’t become one of the world’s great midfielders if he’s not fit enough to play football, and it is the amount of time he’s spent on the sidelines that has been the biggest obstacle to his development since he made his Gunners debut in 2008.

So far, so very repetitive, and while no footballer can follow the instruction of “don’t get injured” exactly to the letter, Wilshere should know by now—as should Arsenal—just what he should be doing to avoid his many problems.

His all-action style, which involves him getting involved both defensively and in attack, is what makes him such a good player when he’s firing on all cylinders, but it might be that he needs to adapt this approach in order to stop breaking down.

Indeed, studying the games of players such as Xavi could prove to be a great help in this regard; if Wilshere could learn when to make more intelligent runs, then he could find his injuries lessen somewhat.

Keep a Cool Head More Often

ADRIAN DENNIS/Getty Images

Perhaps another area in which Wilshere could learn from Xavi is the Spaniard’s ability to keep a cool head on the pitch.

The World Cup and double European Championship winner was hardly ever involved in spats or incidents with other players, and while you can argue that’s because his team were usually winning, Wilshere could perhaps do with following suit.

An infamous incident with Manchester United’s Marouane Fellaini in a clash at the Emirates Stadium last season immediately comes to mind and was an example of Wilshere getting wound up by an opponent in a match that Arsenal went on to lose.

Sometimes the Englishman can get a little hot-headed, which can cloud his judgement when he’s looking to make an incisive pass to help his team.

The best players tend not to do this, and it is something he could do with removing from his game.

Score More Goals

Stu Forster/Getty Images

Xavi compared Wilshere to great English midfielders of our time in Scholes, Lampard and Gerrard, but one of the main attributes all three offered compared to the Arsenal man is a regular supply of goals.

Injury has obviously restricted his appearances, but Wilshere has never scored more than three league goals in a single season. It's a surprisingly low tally and fairly pitiful when you compare it to the aforementioned players, all of whom are part of an elite group of 24 men to have scored 100 or more goals in the Premier League.

It might be that Wilshere’s future lies in a deeper position, a la the likes of Xavi. Therefore, we really shouldn’t judge him on goals, but his two fine strikes in England’s UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying victory over Slovenia show just what he can do when he’s let off the leash further forward.

The question of just where he could play in Arsene Wenger’s setup will have to be broached when he returns from injury, but if his brief is to help out with Arsenal’s goals tally, then it might not be long before we start seeing him chase those three England legends.