Sir Trevor Brooking: England need more players like Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere

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Sir Trevor Brooking has lamented the lack of English talent similar to Jack Wilshere after seeing England’s Under-21 side struggle so far in the European Championships.

The FA’s technical director pointed to the Arsenal starlet as someone whose comfort in possession needs to be emulated by all young English players in order to improve.

“We only have one Jack,” Brooking told The Telegraph. “We should have more.”

Wilshere, 19, withdrew from the England Under-21 squad for this summer’s tournament after his club told him that they believed he was too fatigued to take part after a gruelling season.

Two draws in their opening fixtures against Spain and Ukraine have left England in a precarious position in the tournament, but it is particularly their willingness to surrender possession which has left some followers of the English game worried.

Brooking is fully aware of this and indicated his belief that not enough work was being done with young English players in order to change this.

“Jack could have made the difference in all our teams – Under-19s, Under-21s and seniors – because he does epitomise what we’re talking about,” Brooking continued.

“Creativity and subtlety in the final third is probably something neglected in all the age groups. That is something we have to transform in academies.

“You have to be doing those things at 12-13. We look at the safety pass too early. You need 10 outfield players comfortable in possession. We don’t keep the ball as well as bigger countries like Spain.”

Former West Ham player Brooking also pointed to the fact that young English footballers are taught to concentrate too much on winning than development.

He said: “That is what you have to do much earlier in development, encourage kids to make mistakes in matches. It doesn’t matter about losing five games in a row, just play that way.”

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