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Arsenal have reportedly held talks with their former midfielder Jack Wilshere over a role as head coach at either the club's U18 or U23 sides.
Wilshere made just 197 appearances for the Gunners over a 10-year period, as his once promising career was wrecked by relentless injury problems.
The former England playmaker eventually left the Emirates Stadium in 2018 before playing for Bournemouth and West Ham United. He spent the most recent campaign at Danish Superliga team AGF, but was released by them last month and is now without a club.
According to the Evening Standard, Wilshere has spoken to Arsenal over the possibility of taking up a coaching role at the north London club. The club's U23 boss Kevin Betsy, and U18s head coach, Dan Micciche, left the Emirates earlier this summer to move to League Two outfit Crawley Town.
The report claims that the Gunners have begun the recruitment process to appoint replacements for the well-respected pair. Wilshere has spoken with former teammate Per Mertesacker, who is now the club's academy manager.
The club are considering a number of internal candidates, as they are held in extremely high-regard.
Former Arsenal starlet Jack Wilshere reveals desire to get into coaching
Wilshere's playing days appear to be coming to an end at just 30 years of age following a desperate run of bad luck in recent years. He was once dubbed a future England captain, but has failed to ever truly gain a consistent run of games for any club.
The midfielder has already turned his attention to what's to come after his playing days and he recently revealed that the prospect of coaching appeals to him.
As per the previously mentioned Evening Standard report, Wilshere claimed last month:
“I didn’t ever reach my full potential as a player — and everyone knows that. I don’t think I will ever accept it until I’ve reached that as a coach. It’s a difficult thing to accept and that’s why I still have a big, burning desire in me to be successful in the game.
“I just feel like there’s something still in me that wants to get to a high level. And that probably won’t ever be as a player again. So if I can do that as a coach, why not?”
He later added:
“I think I would love to go back to Arsenal and coach, once I have fully made that decision."
