Jack Wilshere snubs Arsenal return after being approached by Gunners over new role

Jack Wilshere has REJECTED the chance to make a second emotional return to Arsenal as he plots his first steps into management. The former midfielder has embarked on a coaching career since officially retiring from football in 2022.

After hanging up his boots following a spell with Danish side AGF, Wilshere returned to North London as the head coach of Arsenal’s under-18 side. He held that role for over two years before being appointed as a first team coach at Championship side Norwich City.

Since then, the now 33-year-old has taken the reins at Carrow Road on an interim basis following the sacking of Johannes Hoff Thorup - a spell that lasted a couple of games. And it now appears that Wilshere is keen to find another role in the dugout.

According to BBC Sport, he was approached by former club Arsenal regarding their vacant under-21s head coach role, where he would lead the side and also oversee the club’s wider development strategy. The Gunners are currently on the lookout for a replacement for Mehmet Ali.

But Wilshere has since informed Arsenal that he no longer wants to be considered due to his desire to find a position within first-team coaching. Speaking in an interview with The Athletic earlier this year, he said: “My ambition is to be a head coach.

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“I didn’t want to take a step until I was ready to impact at this level and it’s taken two-and-a-half years. I can still improve and I’m still hungry to get better. But I feel like I’m ready.”

Wilshere was reportedly interviewed by Plymouth Argyle this summer, only for the League One side to appoint Tom Cleverley instead. Wilshere is a product of the Arsenal academy and he went on to make just under 200 appearances for the Gunners.

But injuries hampered his career at the Emirates and he went on to leave the club for West Ham United and then Bournemouth. And in 2022, he returned to North London in a coaching capacity and was key in the development of talents such as Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Speaking about his exit from Arsenal, he said: “I had a decision to make whether I was going to hold on at Arsenal to try to get something as a head coach or whether to get into a first-team environment and watch someone else do it. I’m glad that I’ve done that. I’m in a good environment where I’ve got a head coach who sees the game similarly.

“I’m enjoying watching how he delivers to the players, how he sets up the team, how he sets up a week. These things that you’re involved in as a player; it’s completely different when you’re on the other side and you’re the guy who’s leading it. My ambition is to be a head coach. I don’t know when, but hopefully one day.”

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