11 years ago this month, Jack Wilshere was fulfilling media duties for England ahead of the Three Lions Euro 2012 qualifying clash against Switzerland.
Not one reporter in the room that afternoon could have envisaged where the midfielder would be just over a decade later. Some may have predicted he'd be captaining Arsenal in the Champions League, or gearing up to skipper the Three Lions for the 2022 World Cup.
The reality is vastly different, as after a career in England ravaged by injuries, Wilshere now finds himself plying his trade in the Danish Superliga with AGF Aarhus after the club offered him a contract while he was a free agent earlier this year. It has been a sad decline for a player once tipped to be England's brightest prospect.
However, the two-time FA Cup winner appears to have finally found some form out in Denmark after a slow start and a lengthy hiatus from professional football before the move. Wilshere's deal with AGF is only a short-term one until the end of the season, signed with a view to helping keep the club in the Danish top-flight and avoid relegation.
It is an ambition Wilshere is close to realising, with his side now seven points above the relegation zone with just three more fixtures remaining this term. Their most recent outing saw them snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat, thanks in large part to the former Arsenal man.
Wilshere got the assist for a last-gasp goal against Sonderjyske that salvaged a point for AGF. The former Three Lions star delivered an inviting crossed free-kick that perfectly found the head of teammate Frederik Tingager who guided it home. The header sparked wild celebrations from the AGF faithful.
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The moment marked Wilshere's second assist for the club in 11 appearances, though he is yet to actually get a win under his belt since joining. It has been four years since Wilshere left Arsenal as a player, before making the short trip across London to play for boyhood club West Ham United.
Injuries continued to plague him and the Hammers eventually cut ties with the ex-England star, who had another brief spell with AFC Bournemouth before the Cherries also cut ties due to the amount of time the midfielder spent on the treatment table.
A return to Arsenal duly followed, but only in a training capacity as Wilshere was welcomed back to London Colney by former teammate and current Gunners manager Mikel Arteta to keep his fitness up. The midfielder was even allowed to join the first-team on their mid-season trip to Dubai.
The gesture went a long way as Wilshere got his move to Denmark shortly after. He remains highly thought of by the Arsenal faithful, but each AGF outing is a sad reminder of what could have been in North London.
