Jack Wilshere is officially a free agent after agreeing to terminate his West Ham United contract on transfer deadline day.
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The mutual parting of ways brings to an end Wilshere’s tumultuous and injury-riddled stint at the London Stadium, having made just 16 appearances in two seasons. Prior to joining West Ham as a free agent in the summer of 2018, Wilshere enjoyed a largely healthy, but unproductive, season on loan to then-Premier League side Bournemouth.
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In a statement released shortly after official confirmation of his departure, Wilshere claimed that he has been healthy and “fully fit for a large period of time at the club, including over the course of the last eight months,” but he was “unfortunately not given the opportunity to play.”
— Jack Wilshere (@JackWilshere) October 5, 2020
Considering the remaining year on his contract at West Ham was set to pay him $130,000 per week whether or not he played, Jack Wilshere unequivocally bet on himself to land a gig at a new club and rebound immediately.
At the age of 27 and given his decade-long battle with serious ankle injuries — a battle he is undoubtedly losing — Wilshere will likely have to consider a drop down to the EFL Championship, for one season at least, to prove the health and fitness he believes he possesses.