Former Arsenal wonderkid Jack Wilshere has landed his first senior management role in football.
The 33-year-old, who turned out almost 200 times for Arsenal - and was ranked at No.9 in FourFourTwo’s list of Arsenal’s best-ever homegrown players last year - also enjoyed playing spells at West Ham, Bournemouth and Danish side AGF before hanging up his boots in 2022.
Since then, Wilshere has moved into coaching, quickly landing the role as Arsenal under-18s head coach following his retirement as a player, leading his side to the FA Youth Cup final in his first season.
Jack Wilshere lands League One job
Wilshere left Arsenal 12 months ago to join the coaching staff at Championship side Norwich City and ended the 2024/25 campaign as their interim manager, following the sacking of Johannes Hoff Thorup.
But now, Wilshere has his first permanent managerial role, as League One side Luton Town have swooped for the 34-time England international, as he rejoins the club that he signed for as a nine-year-old when he joined their Centre of Excellence.
“It’s a huge honour and a privilege to be named Luton Town manager,” Wilshere told the Luton Town website.
“It feels like a full-circle moment for me. I was eight when I first came to Luton as a boy, so I guess you could say it’s fate that my first full-time club managerial position is at this club. I couldn’t be more delighted to be here – I can’t wait to manage this football club.”
Wilshere will be assisted by another former England international in Chris Powell, with the pair looking to arrest a slide that has seen the Hatters relegated in consecutive seasons, following their 2023/24 season in the Premier League.
At Arsenal, Wilshere won two FA Cups and was named the PFA Young Player of the Year for the 2010/11 season, but his early immense potential was not quite realised due to a series of injury issues.
Luton CEO Gary Sweet is backing Wilshere to succeed at Kenilworth Road, saying: “Jack’s passion, intelligence, and modern approach to the game align perfectly with the values and ambitions of Luton Town. His experience at the highest level and commitment to developing talent make him the ideal fit for our next chapter.
“He has impressed everyone involved in our extensive selection process with his passion for football, his determination to succeed in management and his deep knowledge of all things Luton Town.”
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