The highly respected and much-loved former Arsenal midfielder, Jack Wilshere, has made the surprise decision to depart his role as Under-18s manager at the North London club to take up a position as a first-team coach at Norwich City.
Wilshere, who was appointed as the head of the Under-18s team in July 2022, led the squad to the FA Youth Cup final in his first full season, and his appointment at Carrow Road was seen as a coup for the Championship outfit.
The 32-year-old, who came through the Arsenal academy and went on to make 197 senior appearances for the club, will be working under the tutelage of head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup and sporting director Ben Knapper, with whom he has a prior working relationship, having overlapped as loan manager and head coach respectively at the Emirate Stadium.
Wilshere, widely admired for his technical ability and intelligent decision-making on the pitch, has spoken publicly about the significance of Arsenal to his development as a player and coach, citing the lessons he learned during his time within the Gunners’ inner sanctum. “Arsenal is and always will be part of who I am, and the club means so much to me,” he acknowledged.
However, he believes that the opportunity to progress his coaching career within a first-team environment, an opportunity he believes has come at the right time, is too enticing to resist. “I’m delighted to be joining Norwich City. It is a fantastic opportunity at a very impressive club, and one which has come at the right time to progress my coaching career within a first-team environment,” he enthused.
Meanwhile, Arsenal academy boss Per Mertesacker acknowledged the loss of a highly respected and experienced coach, but lamented that the timing of Wilshere’s exit coincides with a critical phase in the club’s development. “Of course, we are all sad to see Jack leave, but we are so proud that we have played a positive part in his development into the next stage of his career as a young coach,” he said.
Arsenal have promptly replaced Wilshere with Adam Birchall, another U-18s coach and former academy product, to maintain continuity and ensure the smooth transition, ensuring that the talented youngsters continue to receive top-class coaching under the instruction of a well-respected and informed coach.
As Wilshere embarks on this new chapter of his coaching journey, the Arsenal community sends their best wishes for his endeavors, echoing the tweets from the official Arsenal Academy account, where they thanked him for his contributions and wished him well as he pursues his goals at Carrow Road.
