It's a strange feeling for Jack Wilshere as he patrols the Emirates Stadium technical area. He is used to controlling games on the pitch in midfield, but attempting to do so from the sidelines is something new to him. Despite his transition from Arsenal player to under-18s manager though, one thing that hasn't changed is his enthusiasm for the sport.
"Ah I was all over the gaff!" he tells football.london as he reflects on his first managerial experience at the Emirates. "When we scored I fell over! I try and stay calm because I think it’s important. At times I’m kicking every ball and I’m like a fan. I need to manage those moments a bit better and be calmer. I love it. I loved every minute of it. I probably looked like I didn’t, but I loved it. I love football, I love competing, I love every minute of it. When you have a group like that, who have that spirit and have that fight – it’s a pleasure."
The game he's just witnessed is worthy of his post-match buzz. Arsenal have come back from 2-1 down to beat Cambridge United with a 92nd minute winner that seals their place in the FA Youth Cup semi final. As managerial moments go, this is probably the best of Wilshere's nascent career so far.
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That dramatic resilience has been a hall mark of this cup run. In the last round Arsenal found themselves 2-0 against Watford at half time, before a 12-minute flurry in the second half saw them come back to win 4-2. It's in these instances where Wilshere has come into his own as a motivator.
"There was a big moment in the last tie against Watford at half-time and we were 2-0 down," he recalls. "I said ‘Boys, looking around this room we can win this game if we get the first goal’. To score four goals in 12 minutes in that game was not an easy thing to do, you don’t see it that often. That’s because of the quality they have and they have to believe it."
Part of the reason Wilshere is able to form such a strong bond with his players is the fact that he has already walked in their shoes. Having been part of the FA Youth Cup winning side of 2008 and gone on to become a key figure in the Arsenal first team, he has achieved the dreams of each member of his young squad. In the team talks he delivers, Wilshere is keen to harness that unique understanding of his players' emotions.
“I spoke to them today about how important these memories are and how you’re sitting next to a brother," he says. "When I see the guys I won the Youth Cup final with now, we don’t say ‘Oh, we won the Youth Cup’ but there’s that feeling. When you share a big moment - and for these boys that’ll be the biggest moment of their careers to date. I said to them ‘You’ll have so many bigger nights, but this is your first big night, big moment’. When you share that with someone, it’s very special so I’m glad they shared that tonight and I think we can build on that.”
Far from just bringing emotion to the table though, it's clear that Wilshere is having an impact on the development of these young Arsenal talents. The tactics he's trying to implement are evident as full-backs Lino Sousa and Michal Rosiak tuck into the midfield in much the same way as Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ben White do in the first team. Playing out from the back is also a fundamental cornerstone of the development Wilshere is trying to oversee and his impact on midfielders Myles Lewis-Skelly, Bradley Ibrahim and Ethan Nwaneri is immeasurable.
At full-time the players celebrate gleefully with their manager and are keen to highlight the impact Wilshere is having on them. "It shows they listen," the 31-year-old jokes modestly when asked about the squad's response to his tactics before continuing to heap the praise back on them.
“I keep mentioning their character and I call it a fire because I see it in them," he says. "If you came to watch our training, you’ll see the lads are at it. They're fighting, tackling, strong. They’ll get up and push each other and then they’re friends again and that for me is the perfect blend for a team. They push each other in training but as soon as it finishes they’re friends. There’s a big team spirit and unity which has taken us this far. Today we could have played a lot better but when you have that fire and keep fighting you’ve always got a chance.”
As he continues to gain experience as a manger, by his own admission, Wilshere is still figuring out the kind of coach he wants to be. Like all great coaches though, a quality that he possesses is the hunger to keep improving. "We’re in a semi-final now, so they have to believe they’re a good team," he says. "We also have to play better and we will.”
After the untimely end of his playing career, the feeling of goodwill towards Wilshere in his attempts to establish himself as a coach at Arsenal is undeniable. He's experienced plenty of great nights along the way already so far, and having guided his side to an FA Youth Cup semi-final, he'll be hopeful that plenty more are around the corner.
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