Thursday 11 August 2016 08:11, UK
Jack Wilshere says England players will deserve it if they are booed when they appear for their clubs in the upcoming Premier League season after a disappointing Euro 2016 campaign.
The Arsenal midfielder was part of the Three Lions squad which crashed out of the tournament after a 2-1 defeat to Iceland in the last-16, prompting the resignation of Roy Hodgson, who was subsequently replaced by Sam Allardyce.
Wilshere did not feature prominently at the tournament but says he and other England stars should be braced to face the wrath of supporters when they appear for their clubs and return to international duty in September.
"Yes, I think so, because we know that we were not good enough. We know that we didn't reach the heights that the country expected us to meet. We didn't perform. And for us, as well, the main thing is to look at ourselves. We as players know that we were not good enough.
"Of course we let the fans down. We know that England fans are passionate, and they are going to show their frustration towards us. But I think it's important for us as players for the national team to focus on working for the new manager, focus on what he wants us to do as a team.
"I'm sure there will be new players involved with England, and us, of course, we need to win the trust back of the fans. But once we do that we need the whole country behind us as well."
Wilshere admitted that England "froze" in the defeat to Iceland which saw Hodgson resign from his position immediately after the final whistle.
"On the day we froze, we weren't good enough," he said. "You look back over it and, especially their first goal, we worked on their throw-ins - that was one of their strong points and we worked on that all week. And then they went and scored the first one, so it was just one of those days.
"We didn't play well and they rose to the occasion. We wanted to win that game. The worst thing that could have happened was for us to lose the game and the manager leave, and that happened. It was just a bad day all round."
Wilshere also said he was pleased with the appointment of Allardyce and thinks it was crucial the Football Association went with an English manager.
"I'm happy with him, I think it's important that the England manager is English," he said. "I have worked under Fabio Capello and Hodgson, and they were both great, but I think it's important that he is English and he shares the same passion as all of us. He knows what playing for England is all about, and I'm looking forward, if selected, to working with him.
"Watching his teams when I was growing up and over the last few years, one thing that stands out is that they are organised. People talk about his style of play, but I think he does what it takes to win games."
