Wilshere committed to Gunners

Published Oct. 5, 2011 7:15 p.m. ET

foxsports

England midfielder Wilshere, who was last week ruled out until February after undergoing ankle surgery, is confident he can realise all his ambitions with the Gunners. Nasri and Gael Clichy quit the club for Manchester City in August, while Fabregas joined Barcelona. Robin van Persie, Theo Walcott, Alex Song and Andrey Arshavin all have less than two years remaining on their current contracts, fuelling fears they could be next to leave. But star man Wilshere, who signed a new five-year deal in November, told the Evening Standard: "No disrespect to Manchester City but Arsenal is the perfect home for me right now. "Some players have got their price but, to be honest, that's not the way I look at the game. "All I think about is playing at the highest level and in the top competitions so I can measure myself against the best in the world. "I really am happy at Arsenal at the minute. Obviously, I want to win things and I want to do it with Arsenal." The Gunners have made a wretched start to the season and lie 15th in the Premier League, piling the pressure on boss Arsene Wenger, who had already gone six years without winning a trophy. Wilshere said: "We do get a harder time from the critics than most teams but we haven't won anything for six years and that's not good enough for Arsenal. "It is harsh, though, especially on the boss. "He has been there for 15 years and been great for Arsenal. The criticism Arsene gets is just a joke." He added: "We started a bit slowly but we still feel we can finish in the top four." The Gunners will need to resurrect their season without Wilshere, who revealed the cause of his ankle injury dates back three years. The 19-year-old said: "I think I got a hairline fracture on my ankle when I was 16 in a youth team game. "I let it heal on its own. I later found out there was still a fracture there that I had been playing on. "I'll have to work on my ankles now because they are very flexible. The fitness team at Arsenal will sort me out with special exercises that I'll have to do from now on." Wilshere, who became a father last week, hoped his spell on the sidelines would ensure he was fresh for England's European Championship campaign. "Everyone says that the players always look dead for England in the summer but I should be fresh if I come back strongly and I get picked," he said. "It feels a long way off for me at the moment because I am walking around on crutches. "It'll drive me crazy but what keeps you going is the thought that you will be back on the pitch again."