Former Arsenal prodigy Jack Wilshere is progressing well in his first permanent senior management role at Luton Town. Luton Town are getting back on their feet after successive relegations.
Jack Wilshere admitted he has unfinished business with this beautiful game. The 33-year-old has made a fantastic start to his career as Luton Town manager, which may come as no surprise to those who know him.
He is a bright and determined young coach who loves working with his players and has a strong desire to succeed. However, he also has some regrets from his time as a player. He had a fantastic career at Arsenal, winning 34 caps for England, but his playing career was brutally cut short by injury at the young age of 30.
It’s worth remembering that Wilshere is of a generation that doesn’t need to drop to League One to start a managerial career. But he’s grateful for the opportunity and ready to graft, explaining his thoughts on why he wants this so much.
“There’s probably a lot of reasons, but one of the reasons is that I haven’t reached my full potential in my career, and I feel like I still have a lot to contribute to the game,” he admitted.
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“I love the game. I really do. That’s the truth. I love football, everything about it. My kids love it too. My family is family-oriented and my life is about football.”
“You can go down a lot of different paths, but like I said, there were some moments that inspired my own journey of looking at people and figuring out who I am as a coach.
“Even when you step into the Under-18s team at Arsenal, you never know if you’ll do well, if people will react to you, how the players will react.
“It’s addictive, but the more I know, the better I get and the more I want to know more. I’m still the same. I’m so excited about this and how it started.”
“With the players we have, the staff we have, I believe we can be successful here. And you know, I’m determined to be successful.”
Wilshire’s extraordinary talent earned him recognition as a generational talent. It also gave him an insight into working with the best players from Arsene Wenger to Mikel Arteta, and his style also shaped his vision as a coach.
But the injury setback that forced him to leave his beloved Arsenal to pursue his dreams also taught him a valuable lesson about how much he loved the game. And he continues to do so, and it is at the heart of his determination to succeed at Luton.
Wilshire said, “In tough moments, you love the game even more, because when something you really, truly love is taken away from you, you miss it. When you get a different flavor, but it might not be on the same level, you miss it.”
“You can choose one of two ways: I’m done, or I still have a fire burning inside of me and I feel like you still have a lot to give, and that’s how I feel. I want to give back a little bit, but at the same time I want to find my way and find my way in this crazy coaching world.”
“In dark times you have to listen to yourself. Everyone has a voice in their head. In difficult times everyone has to listen to it. I have never once thought, ‘I’m done.’
“Even when I left Norwich, I wanted to go again, to find something else, because there was that same hunger. And it’s still there. Until it’s gone, I want to prove myself and go again, because I love it.”
His spell at Luton began with four wins, one loss and one draw. He took over the club when it was in the Premier League two years ago. However, Kenilworth does have some good talent and hiring the highly respected and experienced Chris Powell as his assistant is a smart move.
Wilshire added: “I think Luton suits me. It’s a bit raw, it’s a bit old school, the standards, the demeanor and when you walk around the building you see Mick Harford walking around. It’s a perfect representation of what the club stands for.”
“This is a reminder to everyone of what the club is about and then we need to understand what position the players are in. Some players were in the Premier League, some players don’t want to be in League One. We need to understand that and we need to adapt to what we allow and what we don’t allow.”
“All the players are doing very well. Not everyone can play, but there is a hunger in the group and a determination to improve. We just need consistency now.”
“It rules your life, and that’s okay. But you also need love. It rules your life, and you have to really love it, and so do I.”
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