Jack: Be a man, Cesc, and stay

Posted Wednesday, July 13, 2011 by The Sun

Jack: Be a man, Cesc, and stay
JACK OF HEARTS ... whiz Wilshere with adoring fans in Kuala Lumpur yesterday

JACK WILSHERE'S dramatic message to Cesc Fabregas was loud and clear: Be a man and stay loyal to Arsenal.

It was an astonishing statement from the North London club's rising star.

And it is a clear indication the Gunners squad will fall in behind their captain if he snubs a move to boyhood club Barcelona again.

Wilshere had no intention of slamming his skipper who did not travel to Kuala Lumpur for Arsenal's tour of the Far East - because of a muscle injury - with talks between the two clubs having stalled.

Boss Arsene Wenger appears confident he can keep hold of the Spanish midfielder for another year.

And Wilshere, 19, piled the pressure on his pal by showing how desperate his team-mates are to see him stay at Arsenal.

He said: "Loyalty is a big part of football and it shows if you are a real man or not. If you are loyal, it means you are a real man.

"We have loyalty at Arsenal and players have shown that in the past.

"Cesc showed that last year and hopefully a few more players will show it this year.

"Then we will see if we can get a trophy or not." Wilshere meant Fabregas as well as Samir Nasri, who has only 12 months left on his contract.

The French midfielder's future had also been in question until Wenger made clear Arsenal would keep him no matter what.

Wilshere likened Fabregas' situation with that of Luka Modric at Tottenham.

The Croat wants to join Chelsea but Spurs have so far held firm and refused to let him go.

England midfielder Wilshere said: "We have a good team. We know that and we need to keep our big players.

"If you look at Tottenham, they are fighting to keep Modric.

"It's the same for any team - you have to keep your best players. We have to keep ours if we want to win things.

"Robin van Persie has said we would be devastated if we lose Cesc. It's the same for me. He has been a role model for me and he is the player I want to aspire to."

Arsenal's preparations for the new campaign kick off here in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon against an Malaysia All-Star XI.

The end-of-season implosion, following the Carling Cup final fiasco against Birmingham, has made the squad more determined than ever to end Arsenal's six-year barren run without any silverware.

And Wilshere is hoping a few new faces around the place can take them to the next level. The midfielder added: "It would mean everything to win a trophy this season.

"That last minute against Birmingham ruined everything in a way.

"We are always there or thereabouts at the end of the season. But we need to stay strong and maybe a few more signings and we will be all right.

"We have been saying in the last few seasons that we need a bit more toughness but the boss knows what he is doing."

Wilshere insists breaking into the first team after coming through the ranks makes him proud - and revealed he has no plans to leave.

He said: "I have been here since I was nine. That's 10 years.

"In those 10 years, I have been really happy. I have had a few problems in the past but Arsenal have always looked after me."

Wilshere says is feeling fresh again - he was controversially left out of England's Under-21 squad for last month's European Championships so he could put his feet up.

He added: "We spoke about how important it was to get my rest and now I feel really rested.

"There was a part of me that wanted to be playing. But you have to see the bigger picture."