Jack Wilshere says he sees a lot of his own playing mentality in Liam Walsh after the midfielder fired Luton Town into a Wembley final and insisted “there’s another level to come from him.”
Walsh’s late long-range deflected strike secured a 2-1 victory over Northampton Town in the semi-final of the Vertu Trophy last night, booking a showdown with Stockport County at the home of football on April 12.
The midfielder also won the man of the match award for a performance that included playing his part in Nahki Wells’ leveller to cancel out Kyle McAdam’s 17th minute header, which gave the Cobblers a shock lead with the first of their two shots on target all game.
Speaking after the match, Wilshere said the midfielder’s competitive edge reminds him of his own playing days for Arsenal and England.
“He’s similar to me in a lot of ways but also with that tenacity and that sometimes it goes over the edge,” he said.
“And I always feel like you want that in a player. It’s easier to have a player that’s really aggressive and try and bring him down a little bit, rather than trying to give someone that aggression, that desire, that will to want to win, train and get better all the time.”
He added: “For someone so small, he has a lot of presence around and influence on the team-mates around him and how we play.”
For Wilshere, the match-winning moment in the 82nd minute summed up exactly why Walsh is such an important figure in the side.
“For someone so small, he has a lot of presence around and influence on the team-mates around him and how we play,” the Luton boss said.
“I’m happy for him because he helps us when we talk about courage and belief, he wants to take the ball in good moments, in bad moments.”
Wilshere believes Walsh’s willingness to demand possession and dictate the tempo is central to how he wants the Hatters to play.
“I like his courage,” he said. “And how brave he is and, honestly, the influence he has on the players around him, the control he brings.”
Wilshere believes Walsh’s goal was a deserved reward for the midfielder’s stop-start season, which has been disrupted by injuries.
“I thought he took his goal really well,” the Hatters boss said. “He deserved that because when I first came in, he was out of the team. He was injured. And then we brought him back slowly but quickly realised how much influence he had on the team and on the players around him.
“And then he got injured again, which wasn’t ideal for him, but he’s come back and, yeah, he’s taken another step forward, in my opinion.”
The former England international also praised the midfielder’s personality within the dressing room, describing him as a hugely popular figure among players and staff.
“He’s a top, top guy. The players love him. The staff love him,” Wilshere said.
“We want to keep working with him because I believe there’s more to come from him. I believe there’s another level to come from him.”
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