SOCCER:ARSENE WENGER has expressed his "surprise" at the England under-21 manager Stuart Pearce for questioning the professionalism of Jack Wilshere after the 18-year-old was arrested outside a nightclub last month. Wenger maintains the player "has not done a lot wrong".

Wilshere was arrested and bailed on August 29th after a fracas in the early hours in central London. Pearce then dropped him for the under-21 match against Portugal, saying the player lacked focus and had “taken his eye off the ball”.

“I was surprised and I don’t think it needs any more comment,” said Wenger of Pearce’s remarks. “Jack is quite focused on training and he wants to do well.”

The Arsenal manager suggested he understood what could have caused the player to become embroiled in the incident that led to two people suffering injuries and police arresting three men in addition to Wilshere.

“From what I’ve heard Jack hasn’t done a lot wrong,” said Wenger. “If I go out with you (and you have a problem), do you want me to run away? If I have a friend with me and I’m in trouble I prefer that he stays.”

Wenger also suggested that an involvement by Wilshere may be viewed more severely by the public because of his profession.

“Sometimes for me a guy who goes out is not a footballer only. He’s a friend or a man who is there – why is it just the footballer who is completely different in that kind of situation?” said Wenger, who admitted that “ideally, footballers should be at home in bed at 3am”, but added that “none of us were angels when we were 20. . . we all made mistakes.”

He did warn that Wilshere is unlikely to fulfil his potential if he does not learn from the incident. “You don’t make a career at the top level if you don’t know how to behave – it’s impossible.”

Wilshere is in contention for today’s match against Bolton, where he spent four months on loan last season, making, according to Wenger, important progress. “I am grateful that Bolton played him because that helped him develop,” said Wenger.