Liam Brady believes that young Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has the mental strength to cope with football at the highest level as the 18-year-old looks to garner further first team minutes on loan at Bolton Wanderers for the rest of the season.

Owen Coyle recruited the young Arsenal star on loan for Wanderers in January having initially registered his interest in the tricky midfielder whilst at Burnley. The England under-21 international has since made several appearances for the Trotters as they attempt to climb up the table and away from the threat of relegation.

Tipped for success at Bolton Wanderers and for a bright future at Arsenal having starred in the Carling Cup, FA Cup and in pre-season friendlies in Arsene Wenger’s starting line-up, the Stevenage-born Academy graduate has earned comparisons to legendary Gunner Brady; a man to whom he owes his football education.

Speaking to Arsenal TV Online about his work running the Academy at Arsenal’s training ground in Hertfordshire, Brady stated:

“I think the Academy has done very well. We have produced a lot of players that have gone on to have careers in the Premiership and the Championship and it’s a great satisfaction having worked with those young players to see them doing so well.

“We run our Academy well. We give the boys who are with us the best experience, a really good experience. That’s not always easy as not every boy moves on year after year.

“Sometimes you have to make some tough decisions about whether young lads are hitting the standards required. That’s a very difficult thing for everybody in the Academy; for the boy, for his parents and for the people who have to make the decisions. But I think we run it properly and we run it well and it’s pleasing to see so many make a career having graduated from the Academy.”

One such success story appears to be the aforementioned Wilshere and Brady agrees that he is certainly one to watch:

“Jack [Wilshere] will do well if he gets the chances at Bolton. He’s already played against Manchester City and I think he did very well.

“They’re in a real dog fight Bolton and it’s difficult to throw kids into that situation but Jack is a tough cookie, he’s got a lot of character and obviously a lot of ability. But he’s tough as well and mentally strong and I don’t think he’ll let Bolton down if he was put into the mix in the final months of the season.”

Reflecting on the ability of several of Wilshere’s Academy peers, Brady continued:

“The Youth Cup team last year was outstanding and there are a lot of those boys, like Craig Eastmond, Emmanuel Frimpong, Jay Emmanuel Thomas doing well here and others who have gone out on loan like Henri Lansbury, Kyle Bartley.

“I think the fact that at such a young age they have shown what they can do at a good standard of football like the Championship bodes well for the future here at Arsenal.”