Wilshere hopes Town benefit from Al-Hamadi's World Cup qualification with Iraq
Forward scores the first in play-off final
Luton boss Jack Wilshere is hoping that the Hatters can reap the positives of Iraq’s qualification for the World Cup Finals by seeing striker Ali Al-Hamadi hit some form in the last few weeks of the season.
The forward has had a tough time of it since arriving on loan at Kenilworth Road back in the summer, as calf and quad injuries have restricted him to just one League One start and a further seven substitute outings, with one FA Cup appearance in that time too. However, his international form has been impressive, as during his two appearances for the Lions of Mesopotamia lasting just over 100 minutes in total, he has scored twice, both of those goals vital to Iraq’s chances of reaching the tournament held in USA, Mexico and Canada.
The second time he hit the net saw his side take the lead against Bolivia on Wednesday in their play-off final, as Iraq came through to win 2-1 and reach their first World Cup Finals since 1986. With Al-Hamadi now desperate to be involved in Graham Arnold’s squad for the competition, he will be determined to do all he can in the Hatters’ last eight games of the campaign to boost his chances of making the squad, which is something that could also help Luton’s slim chances of reaching the play-offs.
Wilshere said: “We were talking about that at breakfast with the coaches, what a massive achievement for the country, for Ali himself, to be going to a World Cup. I was fortunate enough to play in one World Cup and it is, it’s the pinnacle. When you grow up, no matter what country you’re from, your dream if you want to be a footballer is to represent your country and the greatest honour is to represent your country at a World Cup, so a massive achievement for him.
"I know how focused he was on this game, it was so big for him and he’s got something to look forward to in the summer now. I think we can see that as a positive and that can help us as he wants to go into that competition and he has to go into that competition. It’s the pinnacle with top, top players, you have to go in there with some rhythm, with a little bit of confidence, with some games behind you. Hopefully he can score a few goals, so we can see that as a positive.”
On his difficult time in Bedfordshire so far, having been hailed as a marquee signing when being borrowed from Ipswich Town under previous manager Matt Bloomfield, them Wilshere continued: “The frustrating part is that he hasn’t been able to find his rhythm. He was injured when I came here, then he had a setback on international duty, which was more serious than we thought it would be and he’s missed six months of the season. It’s hard then, it’s hard as a player to find your rhythm, get back into the team, to find your form.
"I’ve been there as a player, that is hard, then within that you think he has made a few appearances off the bench, he’s earned his spot at Wigan away, it wasn’t a good performance from the whole team, but something he could build on. Then he picked up a knock in that which kept lingering around, so he’s had a stop-start season. That’s the most frustrating thing because I feel like if there was a period where he had a run in the team, he would score goals as he’s proved he can do that, so the frustrating thing is the injury time of it.
Although Al-Hamadi’s confidence will no doubt be boosted by his goal for Iraq, it might be that Town have to wait until a trip to AFC Wimbledon on Easter Monday to see that hopefully come to fruition, as he only returned to training at the Brache on Thursday, having flown back from Guadalupe, Mexico, making him a doubt for tomorrow’s clash with Peterborough United. Wilshere hopes when does come back, it’s with a pep in his step, adding: “They always say that the role of the number nine, there’s loads that comes into it.
"It’s probably the hardest role in football, but you ask a number nine what they want to do and it’s score goals. We want our number nine to be scoring, so Ali will be full of confidence. He’d been looking forward to that game and I know that meant a lot to him and his family, so I’m happy for him.”