Jack Wilshere says his loan spell at AFC Bournemouth last season improved his game, ahead of his visit to the Vitality Stadium with Arsenal on Sunday.
The midfielder is trying to shake off an ankle knock to face the club he played for last season, and he is grateful to manager Eddie Howe for the development he made to his defensive skills.
“It was good for me as a player and a person to experience that because I’ve always been at Arsenal,” Wilshere told Arsenal’s official website.
"Arsenal is a top club where most of the time you’re in possession of the ball and of course you have to work on the defensive side, but it’s sort of the other way around at Bournemouth.
“A lot of the time, especially when we were playing the top teams, we didn’t have the ball and it improved me defensively and made me understand that side of the game a lot more."