Mikel Arteta could once again come to Jack Wilshere’s rescue by offering him the vacancy of Assistant Coach. Our manager is one member of staff down after Carlos Cuesta accepted the offer to take charge at Parma. The Spaniard is quickly becoming a huge influence on Super Jack’s career.
Arteta was once Wilshere’s captain, but also the man who invited the midfielder to return to his boyhood club to stay fit while he searched for a new team. In training, he was treated like a member of the first team squad and was even invited to attend the winter break camp abroad. It was one of the kindest things our boss has done and shows what kind of human he is.
As a former player himself, Arteta would have noticed that his old colleague had lost his powers due to injuries. Arsenal gained little from the arrangement of an ex-employee being allowed to use their facilities and resources. The gesture was simply a mark of respect to a young man who had grown up at the club.
A coaching career born from kindness
While the original plan was simply to support him in staying physically fit, this proved to be a mental turning point for Wilshere. It took him some time to process what many around him had already realised, the mind was willing, but the body was not.
At that point, the Englishman had no thoughts of coaching. He would later claim that this period in his life gave him comfort in knowing he could still contribute to football, even if he could no longer participate on the pitch. The Gunners gave the 33-year-old his first opportunity, asking him to take charge of the Under-18s. He worked closely with the likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Given their relationship, you sense Mikel Arteta would be receptive if his former teammate wanted to return to North London. Wilshere left Norwich after just seven months, feeling let down when he was not offered the manager’s job full-time after taking it on an interim basis for the final two games of the Championship season. He had hoped being the First Team Coach at Carrow Road would provide a logical step in his career, but the Canaries did not yet trust him to be the main man, despite his return of four points from two games.
A future Arsenal manager in the making?
Recently, Wilshere was believed to be high on Plymouth’s shortlist, suggesting he may now want to be his own voice rather than take instructions from others. Yet in the long term, he could benefit greatly from being part of the first-team structure at the Emirates. He could even position himself as a future Arsenal manager.
Not that Mikel Arteta’s job is under any threat. The Kroenke family trust him to lead the club’s direction and it is clear that he is developing not just players, but coaches too. That is why Mr Cuesta will now be working in Serie A next season.
Arteta’s own apprenticeship at Manchester City began as an ex-pro with no experience, learning off a fellow midfielder he respected. Now the teacher himself, why would he not want to be a mentor to someone he clearly holds in high regard? Arteta still has trusted lieutenants in Albert Stuivenberg and Miguel Molina, who could equally help guide and educate Wilshere.
One of the first things Mikel Arteta made clear when he became manager was his intention to fix the culture around the club and reinstate principles that had been allowed to regress. Who better to help carry out that vision than someone whose Arsenal story began at the age of nine?
You always come back to where you belong.
Is it time for Super Jack to come home?
Dan Smith
__________________________________________________________________________________________
ADMIN COMMENT
So here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….
You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.
CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, please contact us through this link…
I was thinking this the other day, could be a great idea, few people understand better than JW10 the significance of AFC, and he’s proving to be a great coach.
NO! Jack was the Bloke that let a Incredible talented Centre Forward be taken by Man Utd!
drew, who would that Centre Forward be ?
I don’t think Wilshere has something to do with Obi-Martin’s decision
Get a ready made assistant. And players too.
Arsenal is not an academy…at least that’s what you’ve always preached Dan.
So HELL NO.
We need results now and not prospects.
I would have thought that Arteta, going into probably the key season for him, would want an assistant who is very experienced as well, of course, as someone he can get along with.
If there’s an ex-Arsenal player who fits that bill, fine, but it shouldn’t go to someone just because they’re a former player.
What do you say Norwich is….? Norwich’s refusal of Wishere is actually disservice to his coaching prospect. Arsenal need to have an Englishman within the coaching staff that I presume have none at the moment. As Dan pointed out Wilshere’s knowledge of the academy youngsters is invaluable. I don’t know why many EPL clubs look outside of UK when they need to hire a coach. Spanish and Portuguese are the gems currently. Wilshere deserves the vacant post esp for an injury plagued team like Arsenal as Wilshere has deep relationships with injuries and how to rehab time and again.
I don’t really agree with that.
Surely what Arsenal needs is to employ the best person available for the job, regardless of nationality or any other factor (being ex-player etc.) If that happens to be Wilshere then that’s great, but if it isn’t (and it may not be), then Arsenal must really go for the best.
Please bring Santi back.
Can offer a lot
He has no coaching certificates (yet).
He has no coaching certificates (yet).
Whilst Artetas kindness is admirable, JW has let’s been honest,shown nothing to suggest a major role with 1st team squad. Get an experiences and ready made assistant coach.