Arsenal Legend Makes Surprising Claims About 'Brilliant' England International's Likely Destination

Former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour has claimed that Jack Wilshere is likely to join West Ham United this summer - and he gave a surprising reason why.

Speaking to talkSPORT - and quoted by the Daily Express - Parlour said: "Crystal Palace and West Ham have been talked about and I think his dad is a West Ham fan, so that might be the place he ends up."

Wilshere recently confirmed that he is leaving the Gunners, thus ending his 17-year association with the club which he joined as an academy trainee at the age of nine. He was once regarded as one of Arsenal's (and England's) brightest young prospects, yet he has so far failed to fulfil his early potential - partly thanks to his struggles with injuries.

Nevertheless, Parlour was full of praise for the 26-year-old. "Jack has done brilliantly for Arsenal," he said, adding: "I know he’s had his injury problems, but I’m sorry to see Jack leave because I love seeing homegrown players come through the ranks."

Wilshere revealed that he decided to leave Arsenal because new manager Unai Emery refused to guarantee that he'd be playing regularly for the Gunners next season. Parlour supported Wilshere's decision, saying: "Jack needs to play football – he’s 26 years old, there’s no good him sitting on the bench or in the stand."

As well as Crystal Palace and West Ham, Wilshere has been linked with a move to Ligue 1 side Nice, currently managed by former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira. However, Parlour argued that this might not be a practical option: "Nice would be an interesting move, but he’s got two young children so staying in London might be ideal for him," he explained.

Wherever he goes, Wilshere must surely hope that his luck will change next season - on top of his struggles at the Emirates, he was left out of England's FIFA World Cup squad.