Jack Wilshere refuses to rule out a shocking return to the Arsenal first team

Jack Wilshere has refused to rule out the possibility of returning to the Arsenal first team, three years after leaving the Gunners.

The 29-year-old has been a free agent since being released by Championship side Bournemouth at the end of last season.

Wilshere has been training with the Arsenal first-team to keep his fitness up in search of a new club.

The Gunners could be in need of midfield reinforcements in January with Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny set to join the Ghana and Egypt squads respectively for the African Cup of Nations.

When asked by talkSport whether he could make a shocking return to the Arsenal team, Wilshere did not play the thought down.

He said: 'I went there, very kindly invited by them to come and train, get my fitness back, which I’ve done.

'I am (training with the first team). They’ve got a lot of midfielders, they’ve got Ainsley Maitland-Niles…’

Asked whether he has played for the Under-23 side, Wilshere’s replied, "no." But asked whether he could do so soon, he said, "maybe."

Pushed on whether there is a chance he could play for the first team again he said: ‘Erm, I don’t know mate. Honestly, I don’t know.’

The African Cup of Nations runs from January 9 to February 6 so both Partey and Elneny could miss a month's worth of action for the Gunners.

Wilshere became Arsenal's youngest debutant at the age of 16 and went on to make 198 appearances for the club.

He left the club in 2018 after injuries severely impacted his career.

Wilshere had spent time with Serie B side Como in the summer, but the Italian side were unable to sign him on a permanent deal due to EU restrictions.

The midfielder recently stated that he had considered retirement with the dilemma of finding a club or turning to coaching.

'I have to think about it,' Wilshere said on the topic of retirement. 'That is why I am doing the coaching. I have been forced into doing it a little bit, but I am grateful for the opportunity.

'If you want to go on to become a successful coach or manager, you have to get as much experience as you can.'

Wilshere is open to moves abroad after the taste of training in Italy earlier this season with Serie B side Como.

'I 100% think I can still play. I don't care what people say or write or what they say on social media. I am an honest guy.

'If I didn't think I could, I would be the first to say 'enough, I am going to do something else'.

'But I am almost at the point where I think something different, abroad, might be beneficial to me.'