Jack Wilshere breaks his silence after landing new job as the Arsenal icon pens emotional Gunners goodbye
Jack Wilshere emotionally admitted Arsenal will ‘always be part of who I am’ as the Gunners icon left the club to join Norwich’s coaching formation.
The 32-year-old has been Arsenal’s under-18s head coach for the past two years but decided now was the best time to make a career move to senior football as he eyes a future major role.
Wilshere is a fan favorite at the Emirates after bursting onto the scene under Arsene Wenger as a breakthrough talent in the academy, but his playing career was cruelly cut short by injuries.
The former midfielder once played on the Champions League stage against Barcelona’s best but retired brand of professional football in 2022 at the age of 30, having last played in the Danish Superliga for AFG.
He has since cut his teeth in Arsenal’s youth academy, guiding the young Gunnners to the FA Youth Cup final in his first season and is now parting ways as he makes the move to Norwich.
Jack Wilshere emotionally admitted Arsenal ‘will always be part of who I am’ as the Gunners icon left the club
Wilshere became a fan favorite during his playing years at Arsenal, which were cruelly curtailed by injury
Wilshere has left his position as Arsenal under-18s coach to join Norwich
Wilshere said a heartfelt farewell to his boyhood club, praising the ‘incredibly special bond’ he has developed with players and staff around the club. He signed off with the intention of returning in the future.
“I have loved every minute of my time as Under-18s head coach and would like to thank Edu, Per, Mikel, my academy colleagues and everyone at the club for their fantastic support during my time in this role,” he said . said.
‘As everyone knows, Arsenal is and always will be part of who I am, and the club means so much to me. However, this opportunity comes at the right time to further develop my coaching career within a first-team environment.
‘I have an incredibly special bond with the players and staff at Arsenal and am so proud of the work we have done as a collective over the last two and a half years. It has been a privilege to have been involved in the development and progress of such a special group, and I will continue to watch and support from a distance.
“The future is exciting, both for the academy players and for the club, and I know that the group I have worked with will continue to develop and have the potential to achieve great things.
Wilshere admitted he has plans to return to Arsenal in the future as he parted ways with the club
‘I would like to thank everyone at Arsenal Football Club for their support and understanding of my decision and wish everyone at the club all the best for the future. This club will always be close to my heart and for me this is more of a ‘goodbye’ than a ‘see you soon’.”
Arsenal and Norwich have agreed a compensation package for Wilshere, with the former England international expected to join his new team at Carrow Road next Thursday.
