The Armoury

I don't think thats true and I'm not sure why you've taken it as a personal attack on Wilshere.

People just don't like it because by implication of what he said he has come across a bit ignorant and a lot of people are uncomfortable with where that line of logic ends up.

That would be true of anyone.

Jack Wilshere's comments are meaningless, once the media furore and the national debate is over. Does anyone really think that Wilshere has the intellectual nuance to answer a political question about national identity and personhood without coming out looking very ignorant at worst, and a bit silly at least? I'm sure he didn't mean to suggest that the likes of John Barnes and Raheem Stirling shouldn't have played for England, he's just a thickie, that's all. I mean, has Jack Wilshere ever sat down and genuinely thought about this issue for more than thirty seconds? He's been thrown a curveball by the media, and he's said some stupidly simplistic things that are easily construed as xenophobic, but he's pretty unlucky as it's not exactly his remit to talk about these issues. In my opinion, it is silly to have somebody tell you what nationality you are [aside from legal aspects]; if you were born in Australia to German parents, but feel British when you move here at the age of 30, why the fuck should it be anyone else's problem? To claim that nationhood is something beyond personal embracement of a society and culture is when you get borderline racist.

No, I don't buy that. This debate isn't exactly a new one given the discussions about Arteta and Almunia in previous years, and as far as I was aware you either want such players being available for England or you don't. Until today, I always assumed both sides of the argument were kosher. As I've already pointed out, what Wilshere said is only the repetition of what many journalists and pundits have said in the past - but why weren't they chastised? My guess is that they're not hated by rival fans in the same way Wilshere is, nor did they say these things a few days after being the center of another controversy.

This past week has seen Jack Wilshere criticized relentlessly over two different issues and I am confident that had a respected manager, more liked-footballer or modest pundit come out and uttered the same sentiment, there'd be a fraction of the outrage that we've seen today.

I honestly have no idea how you've disagreed with what I wrote and decided Jaygull's response is 'spot on'.

In fact, the only argument you've made against me is that I have some hatred of Wilshere (which is bollocks) and everyone else does as well.

We're taking issue with what was said, not who said it. Why you keep making it about the later point I have no idea.

Jack Wilshere gave his performances so far this season a six and a half out of ten.

His press conferences and interviews are generally worth a bit more that. He is a young player with interesting views and we, as journalists and readers, always cry out for players to go beyond the usual "take it each game as it comes."

So, on Wednesday, when Wilshere was asked about his views on foreign players playing for England, the Arsenal midfielder gave a refreshingly honest answer.

"No, for me if you are English you are English and you play for England," said Wilshere. "The only people who should play for England are English people.

"If you live in England for five years it doesn't make you English. You shouldn't play... it doesn't mean you can play for a country. If I went to Spain and lived there for five years I am not going to play for Spain."

Wilshere didn't say you had to be born here. And I think we can all tell the difference between someone who came over as a youngster compared to a player who chooses to wave a flag of convenience.

In football, Saido Berahino at West Brom is a great example. He was born in Burundi, fled the war torn country as a kid and grew up in Birmingham. Now he's playing for England under-21s. And rightly so. You talk to him as I have done and he's passionate about England and playing for his country.

In other sports, we have Mo Farah and the majority of the England cricket team. Farah moved to England at eight, his father was born in Hounslow. He's as English as Terry Butcher who was actually born in Singapore. Try telling them they're not English.

Kevin Pietersen waded in on Twitter. He's an England hero, born in South Africa to an English mother. He was really picking on the wrong man. Wilshere didn't say you had to be born in England to play for England. Alan Shearer did.

This whole debate divides opinion. Mine is the same as Wilshere. Except if Januzaj does decide to wait five years, snub his country of birth Belgium and wait for England then that probably proves his commitment.

However, what I really disagree about is players who have come over here as adults, played well in the Premier League, can't get into their own national squads and then opt to play for England. I really don't like that. And I actually think that's what Wilshere meant.

There was a big case a few seasons ago with Mikel Arteta. He'd played here for some years, couldn't get into the Spain team so England had a look. Eventually, there were issues anyway and Arteta had some reservations. But that wouldn't have sat easily with me.

Can you relate to a Spanish player - and Arteta is Spanish - pulling on the England shirt? I couldn't. I've never thought of John Barnes as anything but an England player even if he was born Jamaica. I can relate to him as an English player.

I can't to a 27 or 28-year-old foreigner who pulls on the shirt because he can't get to the World Cup via his own passport.

I don't think that's being xenophobic. And I don't think Wilshere was being xenophobic either. He was asked a question, gave a good answer and then all hell breaks loose.

I was at the press conference, wrote up the story and I must say I thought the Daily Mirror and Mirror Football reported it responsibly. We separated the two issues without the need for Wilshere to tell Januzaj to buzz off.

Have a look back at the paper or online if you don't believe me. But Wilshere's view was relevant because Januzaj was in the news after his wonderful two goals at Sunderland and possible eligibility.

But are we really that desperate that we give call-ups on the basis of one man of the match performance? Maybe we are. But it shouldn't be that way.

We live in a very different world now to 30 years ago. A world I'm much happier in. Most people now have a little bit of something else in them. I know I have. In fact, my house is like the United Nations.

Look at the England team. There's so many who were born elsewhere, can qualify for other countries and so on. Carl Jenkinson played for Finland under-21s but it was always going to be England as his first choice. He and his Dad are as English as they come but his Mum is Finnish.

There's not a single player in the England set-up that I feel isn't English or I'm uncomfortable about. If we brought in Arteta or Manuel Almunia - who was the shout a few years ago - then the England team would feel a bit less English.

The other argument is that other countries, like Germany are doing it. Podolski and Ozil, for example, could have played for other countries. They have tapped into the Turkish and Polish communities but they're rather like Farah. They are part of the country they represent. They didn't switch to suit.

Spain have an interesting one at the moment. The all conquering best international team in the world need a striker and Brazilian Diego Costa has accepted the call, even saying he'd have no problem scoring against Brazil in the World Cup final.

Now, come on, what's the point in the World Cup final being between two different nations sharing players? Let's just mix it up and have an all in football festival.

So, I'm with Jack Wilshere on this one. Let's be sensible. It's not about being xenophobic or prejudiced. It's just being proud to play for your country and represent your country.

It's also a great shame that if we ask a player for a view that he should be lambasted for sharing it - even when it makes some sense. Not to everyone, including Pietersen. But you have to be pretty immature not to realise debate is good and not everyone shares the same view.

"To be clear, never said 'born in England' - I said English people should play for England," said Wilshere.

"Great respect for people like KP (Kevin Pietersen), Mo Farah and Wilf Zaha - they make the country proud.

"My view on football - going to a new country when ur an adult, & because u can get a passport u play 4 that national team - I disagree.

"Just saying my opinion, everyone is entitled to theirs. Can't wait for Friday night..."

Getting a passport for a country means you are that nationality (or at least a fraction).

It is purely ignorance borne from being an uneducated idiot is all. He IS saying that you should be born here to play for the country though.

Shut up. A passport doesn't give you pride in representing your HOME nation does it, stop being a fucking dick all the time and see it from the footballing point of view that Wilshere clearly is.

Say all you want about people only attacking him because its Wilshere (which I think is bollocks. For some reason Arsenal fans think rival fans hate him) but I think you're only defending him and getting butthurt over it because its Wilshere too.

Hold on.. Why are you being a dick in this and blindly defending an idiot footballer who exposed his own argument? How do you know what gives someone else pride? I personally know of a few relocated Asians who are proud of this country since they came here under asylum laws and are now UK citizens.

In fact your use of the term "home nation" shows up a xenophobic streak in yourself given how if they are citizens here then they are HOME.

*edit* Just what is a footballing point of view in this anyhow given how the whole debate is a political debate?

Seriously, just fuck off you boring cunt.

I will add that i was expecting you to come back and say you was also born in some far away land etc before moving here, as over the years you've lied just about everything else.

Getting a passport for a country means you are that nationality (or at least a fraction).

It is purely ignorance borne from being an uneducated idiot is all. He IS saying that you should be born here to play for the country though.