It was reported a couple of days ago, that Arsenal’s Under-18 coach, Jack Wilshere, was set to depart the club to join the first team setup at Norwich City, according to TalkSport.

Wilshere was appointed as the Under-18s coach at Arsenal in 2022, after venturing into coaching following his retirement from club football. The Englishman, who is a well-loved figure at the Emirates, successfully completed his coaching badges, and almost came close to winning the 2023 FA Youth Cup with the Arsenal Under-18s, before suffering a crushing 5-1 defeat to West Ham Under-18s in the finals.

It would have been a fairytale moment for Wilshere, as he was part of the Arsenal Under-18s that won the FA Youth Cup in 2009. Wilshere played alongside the likes of Francis Coquelin, Henri Lansbury and Kyle Bartley to deliver the trophy after a 6-2 aggregate win over Liverpool Under-18s.

In the 2023 Youth Cup finals against West Ham Under-18s, Wilshere fielded some of the bright talents that have managed to break into the first team setup like Reuell Walters, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, but it was not to be. Still it was a valuable experience for the lads, going all the way before crashing out in the final hurdle.

What legacy will Wilshere leave following his departure from Arsenal Under-18s?

Despite being a forerunner for the manager job at Colorado Rapids a couple of seasons ago as well as a potential candidate for the managerial position at Aberdeen, Wilshere moves to Norwich with a record of 22 wins, 13 draws and 16 defeats.

“As everyone knows, Arsenal is and always will be part of who I am and the club means so much to me,

“However, this opportunity has come at the right time to progress my coaching career within a first-team environment.” – Jack Wilshere

The former Arsenal Under-18s gaffer can pride himself with the knowledge that he was instrumental to the development of talented youngsters like Josh Nichols, Ismael Kabia, Lewis-Skelly and of course, Nwaneri, who featured predominantly in Arsenal’s decimation of Bolton Wanderers in the Third Round of the EFL Cup. We would expect these lads to feature in the Fourth Round, when Arsenal visits Preston North End in Deepdale.

According to Arsenal Youth Correspondent, Jeorge Bird, Wilshere succeeded in generating a strong mentality among the lads and will be hugely missed, as he was a very popular figure in London Colney.

Arsenal announce Wilshere’s replacement

Following Wilshere’s departure to first-team environment at Norwich, Arsenal has promoted his assistant, Adam Birchall, as his replacement. Birchall has some Arsenal DNA instilled in him, signed a scholarship deal in 2001, but he never made a first-team appearance for the club. He was shipped out on loan consistently to several second tier English clubs, but his most prolific run came in 2009, when he moved to Conference South outfit, Dover Athletic, scoring 63 goals in 93 games in just two seasons.

Birchall returned to Arsenal in 2016 as a youth coach, working consistently with several age groups, before serving as Wilshere’s right-hand man when he was appointed as Arsenal Under-18s head coach in 2022.

Ironically, Birchall’s first game as Arsenal Under-18s coach is against Norwich Under-18s, but he’s unlikely to exchange pleasantries with his former boss, as Wilshere is now involved with the first team setup at Carrow Road.