Arsenal have officially announced the return of former midfielder Jack Wilshere. The 30-year-old is back at the Emirates as the head coach for the under-18s side following the announcement that he is retiring from playing, while the club has also announced Mehmet Ali as the head coach of the under-21s side.
The ex-England international came through the ranks with the Gunners, making an impression with the youth sides. In 2010 he made a loan move to Bolton Wanderers before finally breaking into the first-team.
Wilshere was set to do big things in the game, going on to win back-to-back FA Cups with nearly 200 appearances for the club. One standout performance was against Barcelona in the Champions League, where he caused endless problems for the trio of Sergio Busquets, Andreas Iniesta and Xavi.
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Injury struggles then plagued the latter half of his career as the midfielder struggled to put together some momentum in terms of form. He then left the Emirates in 2018, joining West Ham before making a permanent move to Bournemouth, where he spent just six months.
Wilshere continued to train with Arsenal as a free agent, joining Danish side Aarhus in February of this year, making 14 appearances. However, that was enough for him to call it a day, posting a statement on his retirement from his playing career.
In an emotional post, he said: "To the best supporters on the planet, all of you Arsenal fans, thank you all from the bottom of my heart. To play for you all has been a privilege. You've always made me feel supported, and I hope I did you proud-representing your club. I'll never forget how you always backed me, and I'll forever be a Gooner."
It appears as though that statement could ring very true as his coaching journey begins in the very place his playing career started.
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