Jack Wilshere has come full circle. The man who started his football life at Luton Town at age seven is now back there as manager, and he says the experience has taught him more than any trophy ever could.
The 34-year-old spoke to BBC Sport’s Kelly Somers for The Football Interview, which airs on BBC One at 12:45 BST on Saturday, 3 October. He talked about his playing days, his early retirement due to injury, and how he hopes to help his current players avoid the same fate.
From Luton to Arsenal and Back
Wilshere’s career peaked early. He was an exciting attacking midfielder with an eye for a pass and a dribble, winning the FA Cup twice with Arsenal and earning 34 caps for England. He played 182 Premier League matches and appeared at the World Cup in Brazil in 2014 and the European Championship in France two years later.
But the injuries caught up with him. He announced his retirement at only 30, and there were no regrets.
“I loved it [my career], I’m really proud,” he said. “I got to play for my country and represent them at two major tournaments. OK, they didn’t go the way we wanted them to, but I got to do it. I scored for my country, I played for the club I loved growing up, so pride is the biggest thing.”
Coaching at Arsenal
Immediately after retiring, Wilshere was invited back to Arsenal to coach their youngsters. He walked through the door on a Tuesday morning, just one day after his Monday retirement, and realised coaching was his next calling.
Mikel Arteta was already first-team manager by that point. The two had been team-mates for five years, and Arteta’s approach left a lasting impression.
“I got to see Mikel and how he coached and the influence he was having,” said Wilshere. “I would ask him questions, why he’s doing certain things, and I started to fall in love with it and how he started to prepare training sessions.”
Wilshere also coached several young players who went on to feature in the first team. Defender Myles Lewis-Skelly, winger Ethan Nwaneri and midfielder Max Dowman all passed through his academy teams.
Spotting Talent Early
Wilshere’s own career began young. He made his Arsenal debut at 16, and he spotted Dowman’s talent even earlier.
“Max played for my 18s team when he was 13,” added Wilshere. “I remember calling my dad because I played for the 18s when I was 14. I was like, ‘was 13 too young?’ In the first game we could clearly see that he was ready for it. And I remember calling my dad and saying, ‘you need to come watch this kid’. My dad did, and my dad’s very biased, as you could imagine. But even he said, ‘he’s better than you’.”
Managing at Luton
Wilshere took over as Luton boss on 13 October last year, marking his first senior management role. He had previously served as interim boss for two games at Norwich City at the end of the previous season.
His first taste of silverware came quickly. He led Luton to the EFL Trophy, beating Stockport County 3-1 at Wembley in April in front of a crowd of nearly 50,000.
“I’m 34 now and probably could still be playing,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong, I loved every minute of playing, but I also really, really love this and I’m fortunate to start my [management] journey early. I’m really grateful to the club and the board for giving me that opportunity because they didn’t need to. I was a young coach wanting to make my first step into the game.”
Learning From Mistakes
Wilshere’s own early career included pictures of him drinking and smoking, which drew criticism from Arsenal boss Arsène Wenger. He learned from those mistakes and now passes that lesson on to his players.
“Yes, I made mistakes, but I also reflect on that,” he said. “I had a manager that had high standards and he let me know that he was disappointed, but he also gave me another chance. You educate them, you let them know there’s a line and there’s things they can’t do. But also give them another chance. I believe in that.”
The Championship Push
Wilshere is aiming to guide Luton to promotion to the Championship this season. He believes his playing career gives him a unique perspective on what it takes to succeed at the highest level.
The interview also covers his time at Bolton, Bournemouth, West Ham and Danish side AGF, but the core of his message remains the same: the lessons he learned from Arteta, from his own mistakes, and from spotting young talent like Dowman at 13.
| Role | Career Stage |
|---|---|
| Player | Arsenal, England |
| Coach | Arsenal youth teams |
| Manager | Luton Town, interim at Norwich |
| Debut | 16 years old |
| Retirement | 30 years old |
Wilshere’s path from player to coach to manager has been anything but straight. He won trophies, faced injury, and now he is trying to build winners again — this time from the other side of the whistle.
Source material: “Learning from Arteta and inspiring youngsters – Wilshere on management,” the BBC.
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