Former Arsenal player and England international Jack Wilshere, upon his retirement from professional football at the age of 30, has returned to his boyhood club to take up the role of the U18s head coach.
Wilshere, who last played for the Gunners in 2018, announced his retirement from professional football last week. Following an injury-ridden career, he decided to hang up his boots after his latest club – Danish Superliga side Aarhus Gymnastikforening – chose not to offer him a contract beyond the summer of 2022.
News soon emerged that Wilshere was in talks to return to Arsenal as a youth coach, having impressed those high up within the club while undergoing his coaching badges – that news has been confirmed by Arsenal through an official statement since.
Speaking to the club website, Wilshere reiterated his love for what the club stands for and claimed the days he spent in the academy as a scholar as some of his most memorable in an Arsenal shirt.
“It’s a huge honor to have this role. It’s no secret that I love this club. I love what we stand for and a big part of my life was spent in this academy, some of the best days of my life. This is a big opportunity for me and I’m ready. I’m hungry and can’t wait to help these young players thrive and be the best they can be on and off the pitch,”
he said.
Per Mertesacker, a former teammate of Wilshere and Arsenal’s current academy manager, welcomed the Englishman into his new role, stating that the ex-Gunner, who went through the exact process earlier in his career, knows what it takes to progress from the youth ranks up to the senior team.
“Everyone knows how passionate Jack is about Arsenal. He understands what we want to achieve here and he really impressed us last year. He knows exactly what it takes to progress through the academy into first-team football,”
the German said.
Wilshere spent 17 years at Arsenal, ten of which he circled in and around the first team. Injury troubles limited him to just 197 appearances over the decade, but it did not stop Premier League sides West Ham and AFC Bournemouth from taking a chance on him later on.
