Arsenal call in lawyers over Jack Wilshere Twitter rumours

IF ARSENAL starlet Jack Wilshere was hoping for a quiet summer after missing out on Euro 2012 and the Olympics and quitting Twitter he was given a rude awakening last night as rumours about his private life swept across the internet and prompted Arsenal to threaten legal action against those spreading them.

Promising midfielder Wilshere missed all of last season after picking up an ankle injury in pre-season. He had hoped to make a comeback this spring but suffered a series of setbacks that ruled him out of both Euro 2012 and the Olympics.

Then, last month he underwent minor surgery on his knee and is now battling to be ready for the start of next season. His attempts to finally shake off his injury jinx even prompted Wilshere to temporarily leave Twitter, where he has 1.5  million followers.

On Tuesday he wrote: "I'm afraid to say I will be deactivating account for a little while as I step up my rehab and push for next season."

However, that message seemed to be misconstrued in some quarters and rumours about Wilshere's private life began to circulate. Newspaper Metro reported that the allegations about the player were first made by fans of Arsenal's local rivals, Spurs, on a chatroom. However, they soon spread across the internet and on Thursday evening Wilshere's name became a trending topic on Twitter.

The furore was such that Mark Gonnella, Arsenal's communications director, waded in. "Ignore scurrilous Twitter rumours. Our lawyers have been alerted," he tweeted.

Wilshere broke into the Arsenal team during the 2010/11 season and made his England debut that same season as an 18-year-old. Great things were expected of the youngster last season and he was detailed to fill the void in Arsenal's midfield left by the departure of Cesc Fabregas. However, his absence added to Arsene Wenger's woes during a difficult season for the Gunners.

Having missed a year of football, all eyes will now be on the 20-year-old if and when he makes his return. ·