 Hello. We're back again. Wherever you're listening around the world, whether it be Boscombe, Blythe or the Bahamas, welcome to the official AFC Bournemouth podcast, the unique insights behind the scenes and the personalities at the cherries. I'm Chris Tempel, match commentator on the cherries for BBC Radio Solent and AFCB TV, and joining me once again is club journalist and former Daily Echo legend Neil Peret. I've never been called a legend before, Chris, so thanks very much for that. Let's go over the first for everything. Really looking forward to this one. I won't reveal who it is yet. We've had first two podcasts been fantastic with Richard Hughes and Arnout Danjouma, so really looking forward to today's instalment. What we should add before we start that with current Covid safety guidelines in mind, we're recording this episode virtually, sat behind our screens in different locations. As Neil mentioned on the podcast, we've already chatted to the club's technical director Richard Hughes and winger Arnout Danjouma and listened out for an upcoming episode two with the head of sports science, Dan Hodges. But today we're heading back, metaphorically at least, into the dressing room. Our guest has just launched into his second coming here at AFC Bournemouth, a two-time FA Cup winner, 34-time England international, with almost 200 Premier League games under his belt, a fair chunk of which were for the cherries. It's a very warm welcome to the AFCB pod to Jack Wilshire. Thanks, guys. Thanks for having me. It's great to have you, Jack, and it's great to have you as an AFC Bournemouth player after the movements of the last week or so. Now, let's go back to Monday before the Derby game, signing the contract here or being announced. Anyway, what did that do for you mentally? Was it relief? Yeah, probably a little bit of relief. Obviously, I've been without a club for what felt like a long time. The hardest thing is probably coping with it mentally because you're used to the routine, the daily routine, come the weekend, you're playing a game, and I didn't have any of that. I was trying to, well, I had to keep myself fit. And to be honest, keeping myself fit was easy because you can go out, you can train, you can do running. But trying to stay strong mentally was probably the toughest. I guess when you come to places like Bournemouth, even though they know you already, the concept of trying to earn a contract is like being on trial, I guess, effectively somewhere. Is that a new one for you, having been so stable in your career for so long? Yeah, but to be honest, when I picked the phone up to Jace, I wasn't really thinking about signing here, to be honest. I think it was around Christmas Eve. And I woke up one morning, I just thought, you know what, I can't keep going out and trying to motivate myself without players around me. And I, you know, obviously I know Jace and had a good relationship with him from my previous time here. And yeah, I picked up the phone, just wanted to come down and train. Obviously, I've still got friends here, so I wanted to be around them and be around other players. And yeah, from, you know, from the moment I walked through the door, I said it, I felt welcomed. It felt right. It felt natural to be here. And, you know, as the week went on and then went into the next week, I started to think about maybe I could try and earn myself a contract here and I've done that. What difference has it made to Jack, even over the last few days, that training is now about earning a place in the team and winning matches again, rather than just working individually on your fitness? Yeah, well, it changes everything because now you're preparing for a game after game. And there's a lot of games in this league, by the way, which I've learned pretty quick. Yeah, it makes a massive difference. You've got something at the end of the week or even midweek to look forward to. And, you know, I'm still probably working on my fitness a bit as well, because I haven't played in a while. But I think obviously match fitness comes from playing matches. So I'm looking forward to the games that we've got coming up. And I want to get involved as soon as possible. Jack, it's interesting that you said that you picked up the phone to Jason Tindall on Christmas Eve. You're surrounded by clubs on your doorstep where you live. Why was it JT that you rang? Probably because the relationship I had with him when I was here previously. Obviously, he wasn't the manager. He was the assistant manager. And I got to know him a lot. And he was really helpful for me. I know it's a cliche, but he actually really was. Obviously, sometimes when you're in the thick of a season, it's difficult to speak to the manager. And don't get me wrong, I got on really well with Eddie and had a good relationship with him. But he's got a lot of things going through his head. And Jason pulled me to the side a few times and helped me out. So I don't know, it just felt natural. Obviously, I played at Arsenal before, but it still felt more natural to me to pick up the phone to someone like Jason, who I think understood my situation as well. And he was really helpful. So I'm thankful to him for that. In his interview about you coming back, Jason said that you had unfinished business here. Jack, is that how you see it? Yeah, I said that to him when we first spoke about me potentially signing until the end of the season. I didn't like the way it ended last time. Obviously, it was no one's fault. These things happen in football. But I felt like we had a really good season. I felt I had a good season and I enjoyed my time down here. But I wanted to finish it off properly and to end it like that was not nice. Normally, when the players are on loan and you get injured, you go back to your club. And obviously, I went back to Arsenal for a week or so and to find out what I'd actually done. But even after that, because I had such a good relationship with even the medical team here, I came back down here to do some rehab. I still haven't scored a goal for the Terries and I want to do that. And I think I know that this is a club that belongs in the Premier League after five years there and with the talent they got in this squad, it would be such a shame for the young players not to experience playing for this club in the Premier League and I want to help them do that. I know the result wasn't ideal in the first game you played at Derby. You had a cameo there. Just tell us what was it like first of all to be back on the pitch and I'm intrigued to know what you were chatting to Wayne Rooney about after the final whistle. First of all, getting back on the pitch was massive. It didn't really feel real until I was actually on the pitch. Because obviously when I was at West Ham, I spent a lot of time on the bench and watching games with no fans and it got tough. So I watched a few games from the bench and on Tuesday night I started on the bench which I knew I was going to anyway. I didn't realise as well during the game that you can have five subs. So when the third sub went on, I thought I'm not coming on today then obviously and then we made another one and I came on and I thought okay. So yeah, it was a good feeling being back on the pitch and then I played with Rooney for five or six years with England and to see him as a manager now is a bit strange. I was just speaking to him and asking him if he's enjoying it and he said it's completely different which I could imagine. But no, to be fair, I think he'll be a good manager and if he's your manager as a player you're going to earn his respect straight away. So yeah, good luck to him. In your signing interview with afcb.co.uk, you highlighted the quality of the coaching and playing staff here. Just sort of elaborate on that a little bit, Jack, because quite a lot has changed in coaching staff and playing staff since you were here before. Yeah, when I came down here last time it was different to anything I've ever experienced in terms of the coaching, the man management and the one-to-one you get with coaches and the relationship the players have with coaches and the manager and nothing's changed. I mean obviously the manager's changed and a few other coaches have changed, Bonner's come in. But it's still the same. You can still have that dialogue with coaches and they're honest and upfront with you, they're open with you. If you want to discuss something with them, their doors always open and as well they're always there at the end of training if you need anything else to that you feel like if it's an extra fitness or you want to improve on your finishing or something they're always there to help. That was something that really opened my eyes when I first came down here because I'd obviously been at Arsenal for my whole career and it was different. Arsenal had his own way of doing things. It wasn't the same culture as it is here and that opened my eyes and I really enjoyed it. The level of coaching and the detail you get is really good here. Just on a similar subject, the younger players that you have seen in the last three or four weeks, the players that you wouldn't have seen when you were here on loan before, what have you made of those people? I'm looking at people like Namley off a ball, Gavin Kilkenny, Jayden Anthony, I could reel off seven or eight new players to you probably. Yeah no the level is really high. Obviously I've actually spent a lot of time with them over the last two or three weeks because the boys who were playing were obviously travelling and you know sometimes obviously when you're a young player you don't travel and they weren't and I was training with them and you know they're good lads. First of all I think that's the most important thing. You know I've played with a lot of good young players who whose attitude weren't right and you know they never get anything out of it so I think that's the main thing and they're willing to learn and as I said they've got a culture and an atmosphere here where they can get what they want out of coaching out they can pick the brains of the experienced players and yeah they've got what I think a lot of them and I think as well sometimes I know no one wants to be relegated but for some players and some young players it gives them a chance again to play a lot of games to get back to the level and show everyone what they can do. Jack you said in your your signing interview and you mentioned it already today that you said it you felt like you'd never really been away from the club even though it's been what you know the best part of nearly four years what is it about the fabric of Bournemouth that makes it maybe a little bit different to to others at the top level because when they were in the Premier League people used to say Bournemouth were completely unique at Premier League level. Yeah I think it's it's the whole the whole community the whole club you know everyone everyone is positive everyone wants to see Bournemouth do well. The fans they you know I often ask that question when I was first down here and you soon realise when you walk through the door you know the journey the club have been on and and the history of the club and and as well the manager when I was here before used to used to say that to us all the time where they've come from where they are now and no one forgets that so they're very it's a very humble club and you know as well I spoke when I when I first signed about the absolute things you have to do a hundred percent or you're not going to play here and that's you know your hard work you have to give your all for the club and not just on match day you represent the whole club when you're when you're training when you're outside the club and it's a whole culture and I think that's why I really enjoyed my time here and like it's almost like once you're in that and part of that family you're never really out of it you know I've always received a lot of love from Bournemouth fans on on social media and you know wherever I've been they've always looked from looked out for me and and it's the same for me whenever you know when I was away from the club I was always looking out for the results speaking to the lads here because I've got I've got friends here that I met when I was here last time they're still my friends so I think it's that family feel club that that attracted me to it yeah I remember a nice tweet from you actually when the when the team got relegated back from the Premier League um just reflecting on the last few months for you we'll come back to your previous spell in a short while but I heard you say that going abroad was probably your first choice after leaving West Ham at the start of October what what offers an interest did you have that you you considered to to possibly make that happen I know the MLS you've you've talked about and maybe other leagues in Europe as well what what interest did you have prior to signing for Bournemouth um I had a few um a few from Europe I'm obviously not going to mention clubs and I think it'll be fair um a few from like the Middle East but nothing that really I thought yeah I really want to do that I really fancy that um and you know as well it was me saying that before but it's because I never really had the option that I wanted in England um you know and as I said when I when I picked the phone up to chase it I didn't ever think that you know I might sign here or I want to sign here it was just I I I genuinely wanted to to keep my fitness up at a place where I felt comfortable and um you know I remember when I think it was about a week maybe 10 days into my my training here and my agent rang me and said I'll um Bournemouth have asked if if you're interested and I had the biggest smile on my face and that's why I say that felt natural and you know speaking to my wife who loves it down here you know she's got friends from from her time down here and you know it just felt natural and it put a smile back on my face again and it's been a while since I've played football with a smile on my face and I think that's when not just me but any player plays his best football is when when they're happy you just touched on your family there you mentioned that how big a part of that side of football is important for you at this stage of your your career as well and will you move your family down at any point how's it working at the moment in a lockdown situation yeah so it's difficult at the moment because um all the hotels are closed so I've actually got a little place on air on air bnb which um which is great but it's only temporary so um yeah I'm gonna look to to rent something down here um it's different from from when I was here before because with my wife now I've got two kids um so it's not literally you know there's a few things that you have to sort out before you come but my but she would love to come down here I mean she she loved her time down here um my older kids as well um my son now is is nine nearly 10 and you know he when I when I first came down here that was sort of his first memory of me playing football so he was you know associated me with Bournemouth and he was you know I rang him when I was coming to sign on Monday and he was absolutely buzzing you know so yeah I think that is a big part of it when you when your family's happy it makes you happy and when you're happy you can play the best football when you've been in the Premier League your whole career as you have Jack is there any element of having to suck up your pride a little bit to say I'm going to step down to the championship I don't think so because the people who matter to you most um and have been through the dark times with you and the good times you know you know it's almost like you look to them for guidance and and you trust them and you trust their their thoughts but as well you have to do what feels right for yourself and as I said when when I found out that Bournemouth were interested you know I was driving home and I couldn't keep the smile off my face so it just felt right to me and listen I'm I don't feel like I have to I owe anything to anyone or my pride is is is important I mean I know when when I wake up in the morning I look in the mirror that if I'm if I'm happy and I'm at a place where I feel comfortable and it gives me an opportunity to play my best football okay it might be in the division lower but I think I'll learn quickly that this this division isn't an easy division where you're going to get things that go everything goes your way you're going to have to fight and you know I think I played always played my best football when when there's something to fight for and you know that things are difficult and listen it's not going to be easy initially as we found out the last two games we we're really going to have to dig deep and that's what I like to do and I'm looking forward to it. Let's go back to Arsenal Jack um why did you feel you needed to leave there after what was it probably the best part of 17 years was Nick because you joined them when you were nine um they offered you a new contract of course under Unai Emery didn't they after after venga left but what was it that in you that thought I've got to I've got to change my situation here when I when you left Arsenal um there was a a number of things but one of the big things was obviously I'd been on loan the season before my last year at Bournemouth I'd done well unfortunately it ended um with injury and I went back to to Arsenal that preseason um I was I wasn't fully fit I mean I was still I'm still injured I think and coming back I was a bit behind the group and I was the Arsenal vengal was still there and you know I had an open conversation with him and he said if you if you can find some in you know you can leave because we're not going to offer you a new deal um but I knew the the trust he had in me and you know he was always brilliant with me from from my previous injuries coming back and you know so I knew if I got myself really fit and available and played a few we were we was in the Europa League as well and you know of all the games I knew I was going to get an opportunity and you know I worked really hard and managed to get myself back in the team and you know to the point where they offered me a new deal and I'll be honest I was I was ready to sign it and then the Arsenal left and I wanted to wait um to see who the new manager was before I signed because you know I didn't want to be in a position where I'm just not in his plans and after sitting down with him he made it pretty clear that I wasn't in his plans and you know I just felt after working so hard being told that I'm not getting a new deal working so hard to get that new deal and then to almost be put back in a like okay you can sign the deal but you're not going to play for me I didn't want that I felt it was an important stage of my career where I had to get on the pitch as much as possible so I decided to go somewhere where where I thought I'd play Jack how did you feel when you found out that Arsene Wenger was leaving Arsenal? um it was a tough one to take because I mean if we were honest as players it was probably coming for a couple of years I wasn't I wasn't happy because I felt he could have done at least another year you know with everything he'd done for the club and I mean you can see now how important he was to the club because you know they're worse off now than they they were when when he was there you know he kept top four top four and and it wasn't enough of fans and they probably they were probably right it wasn't enough but now you look at it and think what an amazing job he did to keep keep in the top four I know we dropped out the last year or so but for all them years I think I can't remember 15 years in a row or something to stay in the Champions League and give the fans them them Champions League nights I mean every single one of them would would snap your hand off it snap your hand off for it now and and yeah I mean it was a tough time in my career because I didn't know what I was doing you know I was still speaking to to Arsene and it almost changed his my relationship with him because he went from my manager from the Arsenal manager my manager to offer me a new deal to then I could use him for advice what he thinks and it was him who said wait wait until the new manager comes in because you know you might get someone who is not interested in you and it turned out he was right we all know what he was like publicly Jack just tell us what he was like privately if you I don't mean privately like that I mean but to you personally was he almost like a father figure in footballing terms yeah he was a hundred percent yeah he was he was someone who was always honest whether whether you liked it or you didn't like it and there could be times where you come you know he wasn't the most vocal manager and you wouldn't call you in his office and say you done this but you know there'll be times where you're walking out to training together and you'll say something to you and it really sticks with you and and you take that into the next game and it helps you and so he was he was very clever with the way he dealt with players and you know because every manager is going to experience problems because you know you can't play every player and every player wants to play I think that's that every manager would probably say that's the hardest thing for them when dealing with dropping someone or not playing someone and he was and he was so good at that like he would be honest with you like you'd never leave a conversation with him thinking like what's he talking about you'd always make you understand it and and yeah I mean for me he was you know from when I was when I was 16 he like I remember my first preseason um my first preseason with the first team I was 16 and I didn't expect to be involved like you know it was like in preseason when when you when you come back I think it was after after European Championships a lot of the players were still were still on their holidays like your favorite Gasser van Persie's who'd been playing with their national team was still away so obviously a few young players go over and and ever since then he looked after me he obviously saw something in me that he liked and wanted to sort of give me special treatment um he took me away with the first team that preseason he uh gave me a place in the in the dressing room and made me grow up really quick and yeah I'm forever thankful for him for what he done for me I think you've probably answered the next question Jack and a lot of water has gone under the bridge between you and Arsene since he left and you left but if he was still there would you still be there um I would have definitely signed the contract and but then you know you never know what what could happen in football um it's easy to say that I would but you never know he could have gone the next year or the year after that but um if he would have been there I would have signed the contract reflecting on your spell for West Ham why why do you think perhaps it didn't work out as you probably would have hoped I think a couple of reasons to be honest um one being when I first went there you know I was really enjoying it I was playing we didn't have a great start I think we lost the first four games and then I picked up an injury that kept me out for six or seven weeks and you know when I got injured the team obviously sort of found his self they found a way of playing and and then they started to win games and it's difficult to come back from injury and get straight back in the team because it's hard for the manager to change a um a winning team and then obviously you get frustrated and you think I can't need to work harder in training and then I picked up another injury and it it went from there so my first season wasn't great and I came back towards the end of the season and um I got fit I played a few games and I spoke to the manager and said look he said that I want you to play more games next year and what like we worked our way of what what's gonna work for me and how are we gonna get to that position and again the same thing happened the next year you know uh I played the first few games we got beat five nil against man city and you know when again it's difficult for for a manager to uh to not change things and he did and and then I picked up an injury which was totally new to me which I found really hard because I'd never had a like a problem in my groin it was a hernia which is a standard problem but for me it was a new thing and I thought oh my god like what is this pain it was quite a bad pain and I just thought it was going to be a difficult road back and then uh obviously the manager got sacked and Moisey came in and um and had a different way of playing and I respected I respected that um I wasn't really part of his plans because of the way he wanted to play football and and I was fine with that but um I thought you know I'm gonna keep my head down work hard lockdown came work hard till till uh we're safe and we got the opportunity to go again next season maybe I'll get in the team and he made it pretty pretty clear pretty soon that I wasn't so we we we came to the decision to terminate my contract and you know I'm thankful for West Hamford doing that because I didn't have to do that you know I didn't want to I couldn't as well I could have sat there and and just picked up all my money and and been happy but I couldn't I wanted to get out and I wanted to to play games for myself really because it'd been a frustrating two years and you know I still feel like I've got a lot to give in football when I want to I want to show myself I can do that. Jack just one more on West Ham and I know that hindsight is obviously hindsight is a wonderful thing when you write your career memoirs will that go down as a regret in your career signing for West Ham? No I don't think so because I obviously grew up a West Ham fan and if you had told me as a seven eight-year-old boy that I'm going to play for West Ham's first team in front of all the fans that had been a dream for me and it's a dream come true to to have completed that and done that you know a lot of my family West Ham fans as well so I wouldn't look at it as a regret no I mean obviously things didn't work out the way they did but that's in the past now I want to focus on what's in front of me and I wish them all the best they're doing really well this season and I'm happy for them but in terms of myself I want to focus what's in front of me rather than what's behind me. Talk to us Jack about the differences in playing style when you go from Arsenal obviously a top four team who have a lot of the ball and dominate games you mentioned already about it was a change of style at West Ham so for a player like you who wants to be on the ball making things happen that that's a completely different style I think I read you said you'd rather change league than have to change your your playing style if you weren't at one of the big clubs in the Premier League. Yeah I think when you play for a team like Arsenal or a top team and when you've got a manager who wants to play possession football but a lot of it also depends on who you're playing against and a lot of times when I was playing for Arsenal in the Premier League teams would sit back you know I mean out of possession and try and hit you on the counter and it would be down to to us to break them down or me individually because I was one of the creative players and I really enjoyed that that role and I'm you know then obviously moving to West Ham and it's totally you know but even when I was at Bournemouth on loan I experienced that a bit but Eddie was a manager who wanted to play you know he he looked at it if we got the ball the opposition can't score and you know obviously it was it was difficult at times to keep the ball against the big teams because they would have the ball so much that when you want it back to keep it was difficult because they press so well as well but you know that season we were really really good at that and yeah and then you know when you it's difficult because it's managers as well and managers style of playing you have to respect that because obviously David Moyes is a manager who's been successful in the Premier League for years and years with teams playing that style of football so I obviously respected that and you know and I learned pretty quick that I probably wasn't going to play and if I did play I wasn't playing the position I wanted to so yeah I think that was a big part of my decision as well and looking at Bournemouth again as well a team who want to keep the ball played attacking football probably one of the best teams in this league at doing that so opposition as we saw the other night against Derby the opposition are going to sit back and and it's down to us to break them down I think that suits me better as a player yeah I think Bournemouth fans given the way the goals have just dried up a little bit we'll be delighted to hear that you're pretty experienced as a I guess as a player trying to unlock defences from your Arsenal days you obviously see that as a as a carryover that might help you in this little spell for Bournemouth yeah as well I think you know there's we've got a few other players who can do that you know I look obviously as you said I haven't played with a lot of the players here but I've always watched Bournemouth when I can and from my small short time in training you can see there's a lot of quality players who who like to to play similar to me in terms of trying to break teams down like to run with the ball and make things happen and I think we just need to get a little bit of confidence back you know we lost the last two games and that's difficult for players to take and we need to be leaders now and and stand up you know I don't mean it doesn't mean that Steve Cook has to be the one shouting at the back you know as captain I mean as players as individuals it's our job to to perform the best we can to help the team and it's time to do that now let's rewind then Jack let's talk about your 16-17 season here because I know as you've already said a couple of times it holds happy memories for you um but let's talk about before you actually got here in in that spell because about 20 clubs I think we're interested if the newspapers are meant to be believed and often they're not we're interested in taking you on loan before you got to know about Bournemouth as intricately as you did why did you choose Bournemouth over those other 19 reported clubs to come here in the first place uh it's pretty simple really I mean I'm I met probably about five or six managers um in London the day before and I spoke to another five or six probably on the phone and as soon as I met Jason Eddie I was you know it was easy decision for me um and that I'm not joking when I say that like and there was no disrespect to the other managers they just made it clear the way they want to play and where they see me playing and how I'd fit in and I just felt I wanted to be a part of obviously I had a good friend here in Benwick who could who could back their story up as well and and told me you know that that is how they want to play they want to play attacking football you know it's a fun place to be around training was intense and it was a good place to be around and yeah it was an easy decision once I met them too Jack apart from playing 27 Premier League games which I know is a massive thing for you at the time when you were trying to get games what were the biggest takeaways for you from your your first time down here I know you've you've touched on a couple of them already but but as a player maybe your mental state at the time and getting yourself back to some sort of sharpness what are your biggest takeaways from that spell here I learned a lot tactically because of the detail of the coaching and you know the way they wanted us to execute that and I think we we as a team were brilliant at that that season you know executing a game plan and I learned a lot off the ball obviously as I said before I was at Arsenal who you know for 75 80% of the game had the ball and I learned a lot positionally defending again you know against the big teams I remember we went to to Liverpool away and we played a 4-4-2 system and you know we got 2-2 draw which was a massive result for us at the time and you know we put in a defensive performance not just the defenders but as a team in terms of where we were on the pitch we covered ground and you know I took a lot from that and as well a big thing at that stage of my career to talk about mentally was enjoying my football again you know I'd look I'd been injured a lot and missed a lot of football and it always felt like I was trying to like prove myself again when I was coming back at Arsenal obviously it's there's high expectations at a club like Arsenal and don't get me wrong there's still high expectations here but I had time I had a whole season to build up to that and you know the medical team looked after me here and I got back to a place where I trusted my body again I had a smile back on on my face I know I got injured at the end of it but you know it was an impact injury that can happen at any time of your career so yeah I took a lot but the biggest thing was probably getting a smile back on my face again. My experience Jack is at football it's our very good memories about landmarks in their career how good are you at remembering your debuts any any memories of your cherry's debut for you for a bit years ago yeah it was against West Brom right spot on I came on and Will scored a little flick didn't he Wilson very good I tell you what if we're gonna really stretch you who did you replace can you remember that to come on oh we are we are stretching now it's Jordan and Ibe nearly that's three out of four though not bad I remember my first start as well do you remember that one oh you might have got me here city away and we got smashed five yeah it was a bad one I'd just like to refute Chris's claim as a former newspaper reporter myself Jack that you can't believe everything you read in the papers that's not true you can believe very very little though I can assure you anyway when you signed on loan here Jack you were the highest profile most highest profile signing the club had ever made there's no question about that what was it like coming from Arsenal the change of culture and the change of environment if you like because Bournemouth are never going to profess that they are at the same level if you like in terms of infrastructure of a club like Arsenal what was that like for you yeah I really I really enjoyed that part of it you know stepping out on my comfort zone moving away from from everything that at the time wasn't good to be around because you know I'd had I think I had six or seven months injured to season before and I wasn't in a good place mentally to move down here you know with it was literally just me and the misses at the time just literally packed our bags came stayed in Hilton for a couple of weeks and found a place and made it like our home and you know I really enjoyed that part as well and as well as going to the club with a really good group of honest lads who who I felt like they respected me but at the same time treating me like just I was another another player another another person not that I'd come from a big club or and I really respect I really like that and thank the thank the boys for that because they were a big part of making me feel so comfortable so quickly and I was I was nervous when when I was driving down to sign the first time because I'd only ever known Arsenal and obviously I knew Bennett here but I knew that a big part of this team and the club is is team spirit and I wanted to be able to fit in with it I had no doubt I would but I didn't think that the boys would make it so easy for me and make me feel so comfortable so quick is there any truth in the rumour that your Spurs supporting uncle was delighted when you signed here because it actually meant he could come and watch you play that is true that is true you sent me a text saying all these years and I can finally watch you play now just on the same subject Spurs Darren Anderton finished his career with Bournemouth in 2008 he was in the twilight of his career a lot well seven or eight years older than you are now now although he had a lot of injury problems during his career he hardly missed the game when he was here you also played regularly here is that a coincidence or is it just a nice place to play could be to see yeah now as I said before the medical team here really really looked after me at a point of my career where I really needed it you know I'm at a different stage in my career now and I feel like I've I've got to know my body better myself but at that time you know I wanted to train every day I wanted to show myself every day and I used to have this thing in my head if I didn't train for one day I wouldn't be right I wouldn't be able to play at the weekend and you know the medical team I worked hard with them you know they'd pull me out of training some days I would like I want to train I want to train and you know we'd have full-on arguments saying I'm training and they're like no you're not you got a game on Saturday and you know it wasn't really until I left the next season where I really thought about and really like appreciated the work they done for me and you know as you said I mean I played a lot of games here that season especially at that stage in my career it was only an impact injury that stopped that so yeah I don't know maybe the the medical team or the manager always helps as well where you have a manager who understands who understands what you need as an individual as an athlete you know because not every player is the same you know I don't need the same as Steve Cook who's a center off or you know every player has their own thing that helps them and it's about finding that and having a manager that allows you to work that way. Funny story about Darren Anderton I once heard that he was in a restaurant and some some people were taunting him chanting sick note at him and he turned around and said no it's not sick note anymore it's pound note they call me now. Jack I know that you've had similar injury problems in your career now what's that like to deal with them and it's one thing having to deal with being injured but then it's another thing to having to deal with criticism of it as well what's that been like for you um you know what it's not really the criticism that that affects me because uh because I to put it bluntly I don't really care what other people think of me I know that yes I've had my injury problems but it's through no fault of my own you know I'm not the type of player who who just thinks I I'm injured again I want to be back on I want to be on the pitch I want to be helping my team and you know it comes down to the fact that simply I love football and you know I think it's sometimes difficult to people to see it like that because obviously we get paid well and we we still get paid when we're injured and some people think he's happy he's he's getting paid when he's injured but it doesn't work like that and I don't know any player that is like that so that doesn't mean might have affected me when I'm when I was younger and you know when I was new to social media and you get all all these comments coming through on your phone and sometimes it was it was difficult to take but now you know as an experienced player who's been through a lot you know I know what what I can bring as a player when I'm fit and all I can do is try and be as fit as fit as I can as much as possible and that's why I'm here and I want to play as many games as I can between now and the end of season and show myself and you know the people who love me my family my kids what I can do not show everyone else what I can do because I don't feel like I need to. Jack how much have you had to change your game over the years to try and avoid those injuries in recent seasons have you again I've read or heard you say that you know you as a player who's on the ball a lot you do you are prone to I guess impact injuries and things like that how much have you changed to try and manage injuries if you like or or your susceptibility to them? I don't think I have changed and I don't think I mean maybe I've changed a little bit in training you know from when I was younger and I used to chuck myself into challenges in training you know I've learned as as I've got older yes training is important and there's things you need to work on to improve individually and as a team but the real work is Saturday at three o'clock and that's when you need to give your all and that's when you need to put your body on the line and that's just the type of player I am so I'll always be that guy who wants to run with the ball make things happen as I said you know I've watched a few of my injuries in the past and yeah they've been silly silly tackles that I throw myself into so probably I could change that but as well it's difficult in in the heat of the moment when you're caught up in the game and you want to you want to win and you're fighting for every ball you know sometimes you don't even think and you just go for something and it's too late so I'll try and be more careful but I can't promise anything. We haven't even mentioned England yet I mean we've been going with your 40 odd minutes we'll come to England in a second but I wanted to I guess fuse two parts of it together because I wanted to talk about your position in midfield and where you see yourself I've heard you say that maybe actually the defensive midfielder position was arguably your favorite and actually was it Roy Hodgson in your England career who was the first manager really to ever put faith in you there? Yeah it was um it was Roy and his coaching staff and Gary Neville was there and Gary Neville it was after 2014 World Cup when Gerrard had just retired and he'd left that position and you know Gary Neville said to me I want to play I want you to play that position I was like well I couldn't see myself playing that position and we sat down and went through it and I actually really really enjoyed it um so yeah I mean I do like that position but as well I can I think that with the formation we play and the way we play here that gives you that license in midfield to rotate and get on the ball and I know the manager likes that he wants players to come and get on the ball and you know keep possession so if you're in the eight or the the the four position I think you can you have license to go and get the ball and that's the most important thing for me. How impressed have you been with Lewis Cook in that sort of that four position this season as another bright English midfielder? Yeah what impresses me most about him is his confidence and character to get on the ball and make things happen you know when I was here with him before and he was he was a young player and he had a tough year with injuries and then the year I left as well he's been through a lot as for such a young player and he's played a lot of games as well so he's obviously a strong character who who um he's been through a lot so yeah I like him I really like him in that position I think was it against Stoke when he set junior up and there's been a few times where he's played that ball and he's got that ability he's got that awareness to get on the ball and and look up and I think that thing that always surprises me and this has been a thing for years and years like in England sometimes that position is like a a center half who can play football you know who just breaks things up and gives it simple but I think it could be so much more and and you know someone like Lewis Cook who yeah he can get about the pitch and he can make tackles but one of his best attributes is probably his passing and his ability to start attacks and yeah he's had a really good season so far and let's hope it can continue. Is your personality one that would go and offer things to Lewis Cook without being prompted on the training ground little tidbits of advice and things or are you one who would wait for him to come to you? No I would go to him if if I felt there's something that that could help him but he's a type of character as well who who's always asking questions and you know he wants to learn he loves football he's that type of guy so yeah I mean if if I felt like I could help him at a minute he looks like he don't need much help so I'll leave him to it for now. We've touched on England it would be remiss not to not to go further into that because you you know you had some some ups and downs I guess with England there's a lot of people did in the the period that you were there 34 caps what are your personal highlights of your international career what are the the standout moments for you? The one that stands out the most is probably when I scored the two goals in one game in in a World Cup qualifier so I mean scoring you grow up in the playground pretending to be England player scoring so to score for your country was was a dream come true and probably up there with it going to the World Cup getting selected for the World Cup giving the number seven shirt at the World Cup when I grew up my hero was David Beckham who obviously wore number seven for England so that was that was a big moment I know it weren't a good World Cup but it was still a dream to be involved in it. Jack is there a 35th cap in you? I don't know it's nothing the most important thing for me is at the moment to focus on getting on the pitch playing games playing well helping the team and then you never know I mean it's not something I think of you know it wasn't something that when I had all the when I had three months out you know it wasn't something across my mind I want to play for England again of course I want to play for England but in the short term it's it's not something that's on my mind now. Are you excited by the current crop of England players and the team and you watch them? Yeah I'm excited and I also feel a bit sorry for Garry Southgate because he's got to pick a squad to go to the Euros of all of them you know and that sort of 10 position or wide position which is going to be very difficult because you know there's some some players who seems as well now to be coming in to to form just at the right time so it's going to be a difficult decision for him. Jack is there anything that you haven't achieved in your career that really burns with you and if you could put winning promotion from the championship high on your list that would be much appreciated. You know what like I've been speaking about this with a few of the lads and they've asked me the same question like would winning an FA Cup or winning promotion what's bigger and like listen let's hope we get um or automatic promotion in the top two but if we don't and we have to go through the playoffs I think you know just thinking about that game makes me a little bit nervous and you know I think that is one of the biggest or if not the biggest game really I mean it's the biggest prize in football is the Premier League obviously and so I think yeah that would have to be up there and let's hope we can make it come true. Jack just one final one from me and you've mentioned Benekaphobia a couple of times during this podcast and um very popular player when he was here and I know how close you are with him just just um for former supporters who will be listening in just tell us how he is at the moment obviously we're every month fully aware of what's what happened in his life. Yeah no Benek, Benek surprised me the whole way through what he went through I mean he obviously went through hell and something that is just you can't even begin to think of what what him and his family went through and are still going through because you know that's not something that that just goes away that lives with you and you know I think if I mean obviously I know Benek well but as you said the fans here really took to Benek and I think he's that type of character who who people just like you know he's he's always happy he's always smiling and um and he's still that guy and for him to have been through what he he has and still be that guy is you know amazing maybe I speak to him you know every other day he's obviously in in Turkey and um he's tried something different in his career he's enjoying it I think he's doing well we scored a few goals I think he's out of the team at the minute but you know you know I love Benek and his family and what he went through I wouldn't wish on any on your worst enemy let alone your your best friend and you know he's come out of it the other side he was injured at the time as well people forget that he he had an ACL injury at the time and to come back from you know I've been injured and it's difficult to come back but to add that on top of it you know he's a strong character and you know let's hope he goes on in his career to achieve all the things he wanted to and and his family you know his mom his dad they find happiness yeah we'd certainly echo that Jack absolutely I'm sure we wish everybody connected with your FOBO family the best um Jack just a couple more before we we let you let you go first of all social media um as players I know obviously you have to learn I guess to deal with it and mute your notifications and all the other things that come with uh profile but I mean even Raheem Stirling's put on to you this week isn't he on social media giving you some stick but how much of a part of that is a learning curve as a footballer as well and what have you got to say back to Raheem after giving you a bit of tap this week I think it's a big part of of a football a young footballer's career now because of how big it is in the game and you know there's no really there's no getting away from it um you know I mean I think the sooner a young player learns that there are always going to be people that that are going to be negative because you know if you play football the Southampton fans might be negative if you play for Arsenal you got Tottenham fans that's just the way the way the football is and that's why we love football as well because it creates that rivalry and I think obviously there's there's lines that people cross but if you can learn to to use that to inspire you and you know push you on and you I think it can be really helpful um uh and in terms of Raheem I mean Raheem is like a social media specialist he knows everything so I didn't even think there was a problem with that but clearly there was just in case you haven't seen it and you're listening to this it's an issue with Jack's cropping of a photo or non-cropping I'm sure if you look up Jack or Raheem on social media you'll see what we're talking about you mentioned Jack finally the I guess learning curve as a youngster and we're we're sort of starting with the the earliest part of your career if you like how important has football been in your life maybe as a young impressionable lad when you were getting into a scrape or two off the field and a bit of negative publicity in early in your career how important has football been to to get you I guess where you are today and to maybe take you away from other distractions in life yeah no football has always been my life from when I was a kid and I always felt free when I was playing football and as well like even you know the last three months made me realize that even more you know because I was at a point in in my life in my career where I'd never really been when I wasn't enjoying you know going into training and being part of it I wasn't really enjoying it and that's why I worked so hard to to leave and and terminate my contract and then you know I was sat at home thinking have I made the right decision like I miss this and as the longer it went on the harder it was I just wanted to to be back first and foremost in and around the lads and training and and then the longer it went on the more I miss like the the playing side of it and it's always been a massive and massive part of my life and when I was younger and obviously had the a few distractions on the pitch it was always off the pitch so it was almost like my like it was like my free place where I just was happy I didn't let anything come into my mind I just was on the pitch and enjoying myself well Jack I know Bournemouth fans are going to enjoy having you in the team and in the squad over the course of the the next few months thanks so much for giving up your valuable time to address those supporters I'm sure football fans from a wider audience so it's been great to have you on the the official AFC Bournemouth podcast Jack it's a pleasure thank you for having me well Neil as ever it's absolutely fascinating to hear behind the scenes and behind the careers and you read a lot about particularly people like Jack Wilson we've read so much of him we've seen a little bit of him of course back in 2016-17 but that was a real enlightening hour Chris I never got the opportunity to interview Jack when he was here on loan for one reason or another but that was absolutely riveting stuff very insightful very thorough answers didn't shirk any questions some of them were you know could have been could have been construed as slightly difficult if you like you know a player you know it was just so interesting from start to finish Chris it's going to be it's going to be an absolute box office podcast and I know we aim for an hour because that's around about the the target time we're going for on this pod but we probably could have done another hour couldn't we with him because it's so we only scratched on his England career we only really scratched on his Arsenal career as well we probably could have doubled the length of this can we well yeah I mean there's so much to talk about in you know such a short space of time if you like you know 29 years old so many experiences been in the game for 20 years even though he's only 29 so much has happened to him so many ups and downs like you said you know the injuries the England caps coming here on loan coming back here everything's just so we use the word fascinating that's exactly what it was Neil thank you as ever for being my sidekick on the official AFC Bournemouth podcast that is it for this episode don't forget to subscribe where you ever get your wherever you get your podcast and give us a rating as well and share us on social media our hashtag is AFCB pod don't forget your club updates on the website afcb.co.uk for fixture news and where to buy your match pass and of course when you can listen to the next edition of the official Cherry's podcast but from myself Chris Temple from Neil Perret and from our guest Jack Wilshire thanks for listening it's bye for now