JACK WILSHERE could be making a big return to Arsenal’s coaching staff.
The former midfielder, previously the club’s under-18s boss before leaving for Norwich, is a leading candidate to take over the under-21s.
RexJack Wilshere is set to make a return to Arsenal[/caption]
There is a vacancy because previous manager Mehmet Ali has joined Brentford as part of Keith Andrews’ first-team staff.
Wilshere, 33, was caretaker manager at Norwich for the final two games of the season.
He wanted the job on a permanent basis but left the club after being told he would not get it.
Wilshere made 197 appearances for Arsenal as a player during his 10-year stay with the club and won two FA Cups.
He also played for West Ham and Bournemouth and was capped 34 times by the senior England national team.
The 33-year-old’s career was plagued by injuries, primarily to his ankle and knee.
In July 2022, four days after announcing his retirement from playing, Wilshere was announced as the new head coach of Arsenal under-18s and he led them to the final of the 2022-23 FA Youth Cup final.
He then left Arsenal last October to take over as first-team coach at Carrow Road.
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Determined to get back into the game after leaving Norwich, he was interviewed for the Plymouth manager’s job in June but it was given to Tom Cleverley.
Arsenal, meanwhile, play Villarreal in the first home friendly of the season tomorrow with Viktor Gyokeres expected to make his Emirates debut.
A crowd of at least 55,000 is expected and Gyokeres will hope to have a longer run-out than during the 1-0 loss to Spurs in Hong Kong when he arrived as a 77th minute substitute.
Because he has not had a pre-season after not training with Sporting Lisbon, he is still short of match fitness.
Mikel Arteta hopes to welcome back the injured trio of Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel Magalhaes before the opening game against Manchester United on August 17.
Arsenal also play Athletic Bilbao in the Emirates Cup on Saturday.
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