Jack Wilshere has targeted winning silverware at West Ham after insisting his injury problems are in the past.
Wilshere scored his first Hammers goal on Tuesday as Manuel Pellegrini’s side eased into the third round of the Carabao Cup with a 2-0 win at Newport.
It was the England midfielder’s first goal for 19 months – his previous one coming for former club Arsenal in January 2018 – and launched a journey that Wilshere hopes will take the Hammers all the way to Wembley.
West Ham’s last major trophy success came nearly 40 years ago, when Trevor Brooking’s famous header decided the 1980 FA Cup final against Arsenal.
Wilshere said: “It’s been a long time since this club won a trophy and it’s a shame because we’ve got such a big fan base.
“I’d know they’d love a trophy and so would we.
“We’ve got a lot of quality in this team and we’ve got belief that we can finish as high as possible.
“We can possibly get into Europe and have a right go in one of the cups and win a trophy for the fans.”
Wilshere made only four Premier League starts last season as he was plagued by injuries following his move from Arsenal.
The 27-year-old was prevented from completing his first 90 minutes in over a year when he was substituted in the closing stages at Newport.
But Wilshere believes he has emerged from his injury nightmare, saying: “It’s been a tough time since I’ve been here and now I finally feel I’m over those problems.
“I’m working every day of the week. I’m improving, I’ve played some games, got some minutes and I feel like I can really push on now.
“It’s difficult when you come to a new club. You want to have a period of time in the team.
“It was frustrating and I didn’t feel I was part of the team. It was important for me to have a good pre-season, stay around the boys and be training and improving every day.
“I’ve done that so I feel good, and I just want to play as many games as possible.
“I’ll keep giving my all in matches and see where it gets me. I want to be the best I can be, if that was the level that I was at before then brilliant.
“If it’s better, then hopefully I can push on and improve every aspect of my game and importantly stay fit.”
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