Former England midfielder Jack Wilshere had one eye on the future when he was tempted away from his academy role at Arsenal last October to become a first-team coach at Norwich City.
After winning 32 caps, appearing in the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016, and winning two FA Cup winners’ medals as a player, he now hopes to pursue a career in management.
And since returning to what he refers to as the “real world” of men’s football, he has been so focused on proving his coaching credentials at the Championship level that the city’s attractions have scarcely registered.
“I haven’t got much time to get out in Norwich. I did have a haircut, but other than that, with my schedule as it is, I haven’t had much time,” he told BBC Radio Norfolk’s The Scrimmage.
“Growing up as a player, you were constantly reminded, ‘Don’t be in your comfort zone, don’t be in your comfort zone,’ and that has always resonated with me, and my aim – and I’ve been open about it – is to be a head coach someday.
“Now, of course, I don’t know how far that is away and I’m humble enough to know that being the Under-18 head coach and then stepping into first-team football as a head coach is a big step.”
Emirates connection led to Norwich role
Wilshere is still only 33 years old, but a succession of injuries took its toll on his body, causing him to retire after previously playing for West Ham United, AFC Bournemouth, and Danish club Aarhus, where he first met Norwich head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup.
“I’d seen a number of his teams when I was playing in Denmark, so I was familiar with him and his approach to football. And then, when I sat down and chatted with him, it was evident that this was the right decision for me,” he explained.
The second major figure in Wilshere’s transfer to Carrow Road was sporting director Ben Knapper, who formerly worked at the Emirates Stadium as a loans manager and analyst.
“I’ve known Ben since 2007 and 2008. He was quite forward-thinking in a period when there weren’t many analysts, and he constantly thought about the game in a specific way, and he refined his thinking and knowledge of it. I believe we created a sense of trust between us,” he explained.
“I know he helped Mikael [Arteta] gain the position at Arsenal. And he knows [West Ham manager] Graham Potter, so when you consider his understanding of coaches, and then bringing Johannes in, he was a significant part of it.”
He went on to say, “Trying to grow [as a coach] and develop a playing style and culture in the club with a new manager and technical director, it’s really exciting to be a part of it.” I’m grateful to Ben and Johannes for the opportunity to work with them.”
Arsenal youngsters impress former boss
Wilshere still follows Arsenal’s fortunes, where he made 190 appearances over ten years before returning in the summer of 2022 as manager of their Under-18 squad.
And he maintains a close eye on the growth of previous players of his young squad, such as 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly, who scored one of the goals in their 5-1 victory over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City last weekend, which Wilshere was able to attend.
“It was my first time back. Johannes and a number of colleagues were there, so we figured it would be a good one to go to – and what a game to do it in,” he explained.
“Of course, I want Arsenal to succeed, but I was also thrilled for Ethan Nwaneri and Myles, who had previously played for my squad.
“When you see two young players making an impact in big games – Myles has played in the Champions League now, and I think he played in the FA Cup against [Manchester] United, a big game – scoring goals and helping the team, I think that’s a credit to everyone in the academy.”
Norwich won the FA Youth Cup in 2013 and has a strong academy system, but Wilshere believes the club should focus on developing it even further.
“I know Johannes is very focused on the academy and getting kids into the [first] team, and Norwich has a recent history of doing the same.
“It’s so important, and something that really motivates me is young players coming through the academy and given that opportunity, and I believe we’ve got a manager here that believes in that.”
A career with no regrets
Norwich, who reached the Championship play-offs last season under former manager David Wagner, are presently eighth in the table, just two points behind the top six, as they aim to return to the Premier League.
So, how is Wilshere handling the task of honing the skills of Josh Sargent, Borja Sainz, Marcelino Nunez, and Lewis Dobbin?
“I’ve had a career that was up, down, up, down, a lot of injuries, some injuries maybe could have been avoided, but I always tried to look at it with no regrets and just try and move forward,” said the football player.
“When you’re in an academy and you’re an ex-player who has recently retired, you get the impression that coaching Under-16s, 17s, and 18s is not the same as coaching men.
“That was probably the thing I was trying to get the most out of at first, trying to figure out how to work with them, what they needed in terms of information in sessions, information before games, and, yeah, I’ve really enjoyed it.”
“There are different challenges when you’re working with 18s, of setting up a session or dealing with their emotions – these guys are men, they’re professionals, they want to win, they want to get promoted, and they want to know the best way to do that, so it’s a different way of thinking, but I’m really enjoying it.”
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