Former Arsenal star Jack Wilshere admits relief after re-signing for Bournemouth last week.

Wilshere has signed to June with the Cherries after being released by West Ham.

He said: “I'm not going to lie – it was tough. At the start, it was kind of a relief – I just wanted to get out and play some games.

“If I am honest, I didn't think it would take as long to find a new club.

“When you are at home and training in the park, and going through lockdown, sometimes your mind can play games with you. I am very grateful to West Ham for allowing me to leave.

“I didn't want to sit there on big wages at a club and just rot.

“If I felt like I had done everything I wanted to do in football, I would have called it a day. But being out of the game for three months made me realise I want to play this game for as long as possible.

“I haven't played in the Championship, or tried to win promotion, before. And if you had asked me 10 years ago

if this was something I thought I'd ever be ­involved in, I would have said no.

“But the most important thing for a footballer is to believe in yourself – and I've never, ever doubted ­myself as a player."