NEWPORT County’s Josh Sheehan believes West Ham United star Jack Wilshere is up there with the best players he has faced and was at a “different level” in Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup clash.

England international Wilshere, 27, scored the visitors’ first goal and helped set-up their second in a 2-0 win at Rodney Parade that sent them into the third round.

For Wilshere, whose career has been blighted by injuries since breaking into the Arsenal first team as a teenager, his 43rd-minute strike came nearly 20 months after his last.

And going up against a player of Wilshere’s calibre is something Sheehan, who struck the crossbar in the closing stages of the round two tie, thoroughly enjoyed.

“It was a great experience because, on his day, he’s one of the best players in the Premier League,” said the 24-year-old.

“He’s a top-quality player with the way he glides across the pitch.

“He plays in the Premier League week in and week out, he’s an England international, and you look up to players like him, and you could see he was at a different level.

“It’s tough (playing against him) because he’s a strong boy as well.

“When you get close to him, he’s that type of player that can glide past you without even touching the ball because he just lets it go across his body.”

He added: “It was good to test myself against someone of that level, and to try and prove myself against that level of player.

“He’s probably one of the best players I’ve gone up against. It was a good battle.”

Sheehan and his County team-mates will now turn their attention to Saturday’s League Two encounter at Forest Green Rovers.

Meanwhile, Wilshere praised the Newport supporters and the raucous atmosphere at Rodney Parade.

“I thought their fans were brilliant,” he said. “It was a great atmosphere.”

“We made it difficult for them, especially the first goal.

"They were starting to come into the game and they created a few opportunities.

“For them, going in at half-time 1-0 down flattened them a little bit and we were in control of the second half.

“The player I am, if I don’t have an impact on the game, like I did, I wouldn’t be happy with my performance.”