Jack Wilshere has backed former Arsenal teammate Mikel Arteta to succeed as the club's manager.

Arteta has undoubtedly turned things around at the Emirates after replacing Unai Emery in 2019, with the Gunners sitting eight points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

Wilshere believes his old side have a strong enough squad to compete for trophies, but admits the defence needs improvement.

"They've got world-class players," Wilshere said on Instagram Live.

"They spent £60 million on [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang, £40m on [Alexandre] Lacazette, [Mesut] Ozil is world-class.

"I think they've got a good manager now who can get the best out of them.

"I think you need to give Arteta a transfer window and a pre-season.

"Everyone who I've spoken to since leaving Arsenal or even when I was at Arsenal would say they wouldn't mind playing against us because they knew they could get opportunities.

"Going forward we were always a joke.

"I'm not just talking about the defence but defensively, as a team, they would get chances and I think Arteta has changed that a bit."

Asked if he saw Arteta becoming a manager in the future, Wilshere added: "When I was playing with him you don't really think about that but, when I look back, you could tell.

"He was one of those guys in training who was always on it. He wouldn't accept anything less than 100 per cent.

"Even if we were doing possession, he would try and base it around a game and try and talk to you about what we should be doing.

"Around the training ground he was first in, never late, he would do everything properly. His discipline was unreal.

"On the pitch as well, he was the leader for us. In the dressing room and around the place he wouldn't get involved in any banter.

"His English was good, he knew the game, he was good. He was a big player for us."