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Arsene Wenger has said that he now trusts Jack Wilshere to be Arsenal captain, hinting that the English midfielder could take the armband when Per Mertesacker leaves in the summer.

Laurent Koscielny is the club's current vice-captain and has led the Gunners more often than any other player this season, while Petr Cech is third-in-command and took the role in Arsenal's last league match against Watford.

But Wenger believes that Wilshere is the ideal choice to lead Arsenal into the future, having been at the club since he was nine-years-old.

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"He [Wilshere] was born here basically," Wenger told Bein Sports, as quoted by ESPN. "He has a long history with the club, strong link with the club. As well he is the kind of leader for his attitude and for his tactical knowledge on the pitch.

"Apart from his technical top qualities he has personality and is in the right place on the pitch, and now with the maturity to organise around him. That's why I played him central.

"I just thought the combination of history, the fact that he's a long term player for the club, the fact that he has experience and knowledge now, I trust now to make him captain."

(You may also be interested in Jack Wilshere Ruled Out of England's Friendly With Italy While Joe Gomez Requires Further Assessment)

To be named captain would be a huge honour for Wilshere and would represent a major turnaround in the player's career after he recently revealed that Wenger would have allowed to leave the Emirates Stadium last summer.

"I chose to stay and fight and I was always confident in my ability but, at the end of the day, it is down to the manager and whether he puts you in the team or not," Wilshere said.

Wilshere has played 191 games and scored 14 goals for Arsenal since making his debut in September 2008.