Jack Wilshere has called for the Arsenal fans to pack out the Emirates Stadium for the Under 18s' against either West Ham or Southampton in the FA Youth Cup final.
The young Gunners booked their place in the final by beating 10-man Manchester City 2-1 on Tuesday. Myles Lewis-Skelly's extra-time winner earned the victory after Justin Oboavwoduo cancelled out Michal Rosiak's opener. Wilshere's side will now face the winners of West Ham's semi-final clash against Southampton on Saturday, April 29 as the Gunners aim to lift the trophy for the first time since 2009.
Their win over City was momentous. A sell-out crowd of 10,000 saw the Gunners come out on top, with the club capping the capacity for the match. But ahead of the FA Youth Cup final, Wilshere is hoping for a crowd of 60,000 as the former midfielder also could not help himself by making a cheeky dig at Manchester United.
Wilshere said: "I watched the Youth Cup final last year [ Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest ] and there was 60,000 there. And I know that our fans are better than Man United fans.
"I hope we can [get a big crowd]. I don’t see why not. I think we had like 25,000 in 2009 [it was 33,662], it was nice. So listen, let’s build it. I watch the women’s games and that energy and that feeling they create. What the fans can create, is special. I want the players to experience that. Let’s get the fans down and get their support.
"The supporters are so important and I spoke to the players before the game about using the fans’ energy to help us get through the game," he added. "At the end of the game, I went around the stadium to thank them because they have been amazing for us every step of the way."
Arsenal are scheduled to have three more U18s games before the final. They are set to face West Ham, Leicester and Southampton leading up to the big game - and Wilshere has admitted his side must remain focused.
He told the Arsenal website : "We'll prepare in the same manner as always, we'll go back over this game and review this and look to see where we can improve because the final will be a tough game.
"However, we know it’ll be a special occasion as it's at the Emirates and we will use that alongside the incredible support from the crowd to motivate us in the final."
Wilshere has done an excellent job after being appointed as the Arsenal U18s head coach last summer. Although their league form has not been the best, he has guided them to a Youth Cup final for the first time since 2018.
