Jack Wilshere England Euro 2016 squad inclusion criticised on Twitter as Arsenal star has played 141 minutes this season

Wilshere has made just three appearances and started one match since breaking his leg in August

Jack de Menezes
Monday 16 May 2016 11:50 BST
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Jack Wilshere has been included in England's squad for Euro 2016
Jack Wilshere has been included in England's squad for Euro 2016 (Getty)

England fans have criticised Roy Hodgson’s decision to include Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere in his Euro 2016 squad, given he has started just one match this season and has played a total of 141 minutes since breaking his leg last August.

Wilshere was one of 26 players included in Roy Hodgson’s preliminary squad for Euro 2016, with three players still to be cut before the England manager has his final 23 to take to France.

The injury, which was suffered in pre-season training for Arsenal in the days before the Community Shield clash, means Wilshere has made just three appearances since he last played for England in June 2015, although Hodgson has stressed that he will take Wilshere if he can prove his fitness.

That has left certain fans unhappy given that Wilshere will have been taken regardless of having no form to speak of, while other players have been left out of the squad for either failing to impress Hodgson or not playing enough in recent months.

West Ham fans are also disappointed to see Mark Noble continually overlooked, while midfielder Danny Drinkwater looks likely to be one of the three set to be cut despite helping Leicester City to the Premier League title.

A quick search of Wilshere’s name on Twitter revealed that a number of fans and journalists are sceptical of the Arsenal midfielder’s inclusion.

Wilshere has made 28 appearances for England, with his two goals coming in the 3-2 victory over Slovenia – his last outing for the Three Lions. He came into the squad after the 2010 World Cup campaign, and made his full debut in February 2011 when he started the friendly against Denmark, although he missed the Euro 2012 Championship through injury.

He did play in a major tournament for England though when he was part of Hodgson’s squad for the 2014 World Cup, though he only started one match in England’s dead rubber with Costa Rica after they were already eliminated.

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