Jack Wilshere reveals Arsene Wenger inspiration as new Arsenal U18s coach sets out tactical philosophy

Arsenal Pre-Season Training Session
Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Marc Mayo12 July 2022

Jack Wilshere will take inspiration from Arsene Wenger and Mikel Arteta as he begins life as Arsenal’s new Under-18s head coach.

The Gunners have appointed the former midfielder after he retired from playing and Wilshere, 30, set out his tactical philosophy after joining.

He told the club website: “I want a team that dominates possession, tries to win the ball back as high as possible, as quickly as possible.

“Working under Arsene and people like that, they instilled that in us from a young age. If I can bring that in, along with Mikel's thoughts and ideas, I think that's a recipe for success.

“I was thinking about all the coaches I worked with, including Mikel, and taking inspiration from all of them. I think it's so important that the academy and first-team are aligned.

“If there's a player who needs to go over and train with the first-team, he has to have the same fundamentals that the first-team players have, and the same language is used between us and them. I think that gives them the best chance.”

Wilshere explained how his desire to move into management grew during a spell with the Arsenal academy last year, when he dropped into the coaching setup while looking for a new club.

He continued: “That experience is what really gave me the hunger to go after a job like this and think about the future.

“I always had coaching in the back of my mind, but then I came back here last year and I was doing it full-time for six months, and the more I learnt about it, the more it intrigued me.”

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