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PHOTO: Wilshere Snapped Smoking, Wenger Not Impressed

By on October 4, 2013

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has hit the headlines today after being pictured smoking outside a nightclub in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The photo (below), which appeared in the Sun newspaper this morning, shows Jack outside a bar/club smoking a cigarette while standing with a young blonde.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has been left unimpressed by Wilshere’s actions and confirmed this morning that he plans to hold talks with the midfielder about the incident to remind him that he’s not only putting his health at risk, but also his reputation:

“Well, I disagree completely with that behaviour,” Wenger said.

“I need to have a chat with him about that. (What I say) I will leave between him and me.

“When you’re a football player you’re an example, and you don’t do what damages your health.

“You can damage your health at home – you can smoke or drink at home – and nobody sees it, but when you’re out socially, you damage your reputation as well.”

“Wilshere is a very important player here, my future plans have always been built around Jack,” the Frenchman added.

“We had some setbacks with him – a lot – but he is a very important player in my squad.”

Wenger, however, accepts in England the culture makes such a position untenable.

“Yes of course things are different, in England especially,” he said.

“You don’t need to convince me because I must tell you, I travelled as a football player on coaches after games in France where you didn’t see each other, there was so much smoke on the coach. Everybody smoked, but times have changed, and the healthy worry, the example, the role models from the football players request has changed as well.

“I must say as well, English society is very sensitive to smoking, much more than France, more than southern (European) countries, so it is a bit more shocking here than it is somewhere else.”

[source: Sky Sports]

So, is this such a big deal? Personally, I’m not naive enough to think some footballers don’t smoke, but it was pretty stupid of Jack to allow himself to be caught like this. He was in full view of the public and he must know it’s going to be headline news if an opportunistic bystander decides to make a quick buck by taking a photo.

Anyway, here’s the photo everyone’s talking about: