Jack Wilshere has revealed Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has urged him to leave the club.

Wilshere was riding a gym exercise bike at the start of the season when the Emirates boss advised him to find another club.

Wilshere, firmly back in Arsenal's plans after deciding to fight for his place, admitted: “He said: 'I am going to be honest with you and at the moment we are not going to be offering you a contract.

“'So if you can get a contract somewhere else, you can go.'

“I was on the bike in the gym, so I didn't leave the room. It was a strange one, because maybe part of me knew all this already – all I needed was some clarity on where I stood in the football club.

“He said I could fight for my position. And I always had confidence I could get back into the midfield if I got my fitness back and kept it – and I did that. I proved that I could get into that team.

“It was boiling up for a while because everybody knew I had a year left on my deal and I had been out on loan, got injured, and wasn't really in his plans.

“Obviously I was not happy with that, but at the same time I was happy he was being honest. He gave the opportunity with three or four weeks left in the transfer window, but I did not find anything that I wanted and at the same time I was not really fit."

He added: “I have three months left on my contract. Ideally, yes, I want it sorted as soon as possible."