Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has hailed Jack Wilshere after his side’s last-gasp 1-0 victory over Burnley at a raw Turf Moor on Sunday lunchtime.

Alexis Sanchez calmly slotted the 92nd minute penalty past Nick Pope in the Clarets goal to break home fans hearts.

But it was the performance of the Hitchin-reared Wilshere which prompted the long-serving Frenchman to hail his vital contribution to the cause.

The 25-year-old creative midfielder injected urgency into the Arsenal side after he replaced Alex Iwobi on 67 minutes.

Speaking afterwards Wenger responded to a question from the Islington Gazette by saying: “I feel he did alright when he came on because he has little burst to be dangerous.

“I think he’s focused, determined – and that’s what he want from him.

“We play so many games he’s getting stronger in every game.”

Wenger has been playing Wilshere in League Cup and Europa League matches this season as he regains full match fitness.

But with only a matter of months to go on his Arsenal contract the club has to move quickly to tie him up on another long-term deal.

Wilshere, speaking exclusively to the Islington Gazette and Hitchin Comet on the red carpet of the premier of 89 the Film earlier this month admitted he longed to become an Arsenal legend and wanted to stay at the club he joined as a nine-year-old.

However he is desperate to play regularly in order to break into England boss Gareth Southgate’s thought’s ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Speaking in Germany after he played in the 1-0 Europa League defeat in Cologne he admitted an ‘honest discussion’ needed to take place between him and Wenger regarding his future.

Wenger also has concerns about Mesut Ozil – who missed the hard-fought win at Burnley with an unspecified ‘illness’, and Sanchez – who are both also out of contract in the summer.

Speaking after the game in Germany, when questioned about what will happen Wenger, said: “They are honest. I don’t question their honesty [but] nobody knows what will happen when the players reach the end of their contracts. Our worry is to perform, that’s it.”

Arsenal’s gritty victory leapfrogs them over Spurs into the top four, one point ahead of the Lillywhites on 25 points.