Arsenal U21 3-1 Newcastle U21: Jack Wilshere shows glimpses of his X-factor in comeback following injury hell

• e-mail

Jack Wilshere is finally back on a football pitch. Following nine months of injury hell, the midfielder made his long-awaited return by playing 65 minutes as Arsenal’s Under-21s beat Newcastle.

After so long on the sidelines, Wilshere finds himself in a race for form and fitness, not only for his club but in order to muscle back into Roy Hodgson’s masterplan for England at this summer’s European Championship.

Game time is essential and, though the 24-year-old’s performance featured only glimpses of his X-factor, this was perhaps understandable considering he’d not been in this situation for fully 300 days. 

Jack Wilshere surges forward for Arsenal in the U21 clash with Newcastle in north London on Friday night

The England international (centre) looks to sprint past a duo of challenges from the Newcastle U21 line-up

Arsenal's record goalscorer Thierry Henry (centre) was in the crowd to watch the contest on Friday night

Wilshere and Tomas Rosicky (right) celebrate as Arsenal stormed into an early 2-0 lead in north London

Henri Saivet of Newcastle and Wilshere clashed after the pair collided off the ball in the second half

The highlight came 10 minutes into the second-half, a burst forward and immaculate threaded through pass to striker Stephy Mavididi, who rolled the ball wastefully wide of the post.

The last time we saw Wilshere, we saw the best of him. He crashed in two spectacular goals as England won 3-2 in Slovenia and took a giant leap towards Euro 2016. That was on June 14, 2015.

This was a man maybe approaching the peak of his powers, a year out from a major tournament.

But all that changed the day before Arsenal played Chelsea in the Community Shield back in August when Wilshere broke his fibula in a training session. It was just the latest misfortune for a man cursed by injuries.

An initial absence of two months turned into something longer when he underwent surgery in September and it’s only been in the last month that Wilshere has been able to train with intensity again.

Then his comeback turned into an entirely avoidable controversy last weekend when he was caught up in an altercation outside a London nightspot in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Arsenal midfielder Dan Crowley (centre) slotted the Gunners in front to complete a fine solo move

Wilshere tangles with Newcastle's Daniel Barlaser as the England international marshaled the midfield

Stephy Mavididi (right) fired in this strike to double Arsenal's lead within the first eight minutes

Mavididi was clinical with his finish to send Arsenal 2-0 ahead at the Emirates Stadium on Friday night

The 24-year-old evades a challenged to try and spark another Arsenal attack during the U21 encounter

The unwanted publicity was purely Wilshere’s fault and raised old demons, but the backing of both Hodgson and Arsene Wenger has always been unstinting.

And after all that, it was just nice to see Wilshere out on a pitch, taking the necessary steps back.

With Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson potentially ruled out for the coming weeks, the path back into England contention could be clearer for Wilshere than initially imagined.

Newcastle did their upmost early on to ensure Wilshere’s reintroduction to competitive play was as smooth as it possibly could be. 

They trailed by two within the opening 10 minutes, their defending leaving much to be desired.

Wilshere actually started the move that led to Daniel Crowley’s opener, but the 18-year-old deserved all the plaudits for the way he bamboozled three defenders with his step-overs before casually rolling the ball past keeper Nathan Harker. 

Rosicky was back in action for Arsenal in the U21 squad having been out injured since January

Arsenal winger Serge Gnabry leaps over a tackle from Newcastle's Ben Kitchen during the U21 clash

The England international was substituted after a decent 65 minutes of play for the Arsenal U21 team

Barely 60 seconds later and the lead was doubled. 35-year-old veteran Tomas Rosicky, himself on the way back from a thigh injury that probably means he’ll be leaving this summer, slipped in Mavididi, who stroked the ball home.

Wilshere was at the base of Arsenal’s midfield and doing little beyond keeping their passing ticking over with crisp passing. 

Having been out for so long, there was an understandable reluctance to over-stretch himself. 

The lively Serge Gnabry should have added a third before Peter Beardsley’s Newcastle, in a rare bright spell, halved the deficit with a little assistance from their opponents. 

The 24-year-old ties his laces by the Emirates Stadium pitch ahead of his return to competitive action

Here is the sight all Arsenal fans wanted to see, Wilshere running out onto the pitch ready for the warm up

The England international gives fans a thumbs up before making his long awaited return to competitive action

Owen Gallacher advanced down the left and his low cross was inadvertently turned beyond keeper Matt Macey by the outstretched leg of Krystian Bielik.

Wilshere briefly moved forward on the right wing but soon retreated again, though there was one glimpse of those skilful turns and head-down runs that make him such a nice player to watch.

Arsenal always looked likely to extend their advantage and Gnabry’s electric pace took him clear of the Newcastle defence and onto Jeff Reine-Adelaide’s pass. His finish was crisp and clinical.

Wilshere hadn’t ventured forward too often, but he did appear on the edge of box early in the second-half, rather snatching at a shot that pulled wide.

Wilshere was all smiles with Serge Gnabry (centre) and Jeff Reine-Adelaide ahead of kick-off

Chris Willock had replaced Rosicky at half-time and he twisted through the Newcastle defence before driving across goal.

And a purposeful Wilshere run, one of the few occasions when he got up to full speed, set Arsenal on their way but Willock’s appeals for penalty were turned down.

There was a minor flashpoint when Wilshere body-checked Henri Saivet but the referee defused the situation as they exchanged words.

Wilshere received a warm reception when replaced by Josh Dasilva on 65 minutes. He headed straight down the tunnel, the evening all-in-all a good run-out.  

Jack Wilshere was pictured looking around the Emirates Stadium ahead of his return to competitive action

The 24-year-old gazes out onto the pitch in north London ahead of featuring for the Gunners' U21 side