Jack Wilshere has spoken for the first time about the new Arsenal arrivals who have been handed the unenviable task of replacing some of the biggest names at the club.

While Wilshere was recovering from a string of serious injuries, he was forced to watch from the sidelines as the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy, Alex Song and Robin van Persie all departed for pastures new.

Jack Wilshere
[Reuters]

The England international had broken into the Arsenal side while playing alongside this array of talent, but returned to action surrounded my new faces all hoping to impress the Emirates faithful.

In total, six of the players who started Wilshere's comeback game against Queens Park Ranger were not at the club for his previous Premier League appearance back in May 2011 against Fulham.

Per Mertesacker, Andre Santos and Mikel Artetea all arrived in the summer of 2011, while the following year saw Olivier Giroud, Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla make the move to north London.

While many have questioned the logic in allowing these players to leave Arsenal, manager Arsene Wenger has always believed that he has found suitable replacements and that the club can still compete for silverware this season.

Wilshere has also lent his support to the French boss by speaking in a positive manner about the players that have arrived at Arsenal this summer.

"It is strange because last time I played was with Fabregas, Nasri, Alex Song [and] Robin van Persie," Wilshere told Arsenal's official website. "Now there's the likes of Podolski, Giroud, Cazorla [and] Arteta.

"I think the boss has done excellently. He's bought well. These players are proper footballers - they understand the game and they've been around. You look at someone like Lukas Podolski, he's got over 100 caps for his country.

"They're top players and it's easy to come into a team where they understand football so well. To play with someone like Santi Cazorla is so easy. He understands football, even little things like the pace of the pass he gives you, and his movement is outstanding."

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