Jack Wilshere LEAVES Arsenal after two years to begin new senior coaching role at Norwich

JACK WILSHERE is leaving Arsenal to take up a first-team coaching role at Norwich City.

The 32-year-old will leave the club tomorrow to take his new role with the Championship club, according to The Athletic.

Wilshere has spent the last two years as Arsenal’s U18s head coach after hanging up his boots in 2022.

The former Gunners midfielder will now join Johannes Hoff Thorup’s backroom team at Carrow Road in his first ever senior first-team role.

Wilshere will reportedly replace Narcis Pelach at the club, who left last month to take over at Stoke City.

While it’s also said that the opportunity is seen as a step that will significantly advance Wilshere’s coaching career despite his young age.

The move is understood to have been helped on by the former England international’s relationship with Norwich’s sporting director Ben Knapper.

Knapper previously worked as Arsenal’s loans manager during Wilshere’s time at the club.

Wilshere was forced to retire at the age of 30 after battling with injuries throughout his career.

After bursting on the scene at Arsenal as a teenage, Wilshere went on to have spells playing at West Ham, Bournemouth and Danish outfit Aarhus GF, before deciding his injuries had got the better of him.

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It was the same summer as his retirement that the former rising star began his role as head coach of the Gunners’ U18s.

During his first season as boss of the youth team he managed to guide the youngsters to the FA Youth Cup final, ultimately losing to West Ham.

While he also helped nurture talent such as Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Wilshere was previously linked with making a huge leap into senior management last year.

The Arsenal legend reportedly held talks with MLS side Colorado Rapids about becoming their head coach, but a switch never materialised.

Norwich currently sit seventh in the Championship, having won four, drawn four and lost two of their opening 10 clashes.

The Canaries face Preston North End tonight with the fixture coming too soon for Wilshere to take part in the preparations.

It’s likely that the former retired midfielder’s first game in the dugout will be this weekend’s clash with Middlesbrough instead.

Wilshere famously scored his greatest goal in an Arsenal shirt against Norwich in 2013.

The star combined with Olivier Giroud to net a wonderfully worked effort that won the BBC’s Premier League 2013/14 goal of the season.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk