Jack Wilshere is training with Arsenal after accepting an invitation from Mikel Arteta to use the club’s London Colney facilities while he looks for a new club and undertakes his coaching badges.
The 29-year-old revealed last month that he was struggling for motivation after being released by Bournemouth in the summer and finding himself without the structure of formal team sessions.
“We are in conversations with Jack to understand his needs and what he’s looking for,” Arteta said three weeks ago.
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Wilshere teased his return while working as a pundit for Sky Sports during their coverage of last weekend’s Brighton game. Reflecting on the north London derby win, he mentioned, “The training ground is buzzing.”
The midfielder was also spotted in the stands last night as he watched Arsenal’s under-23s take on their Bournemouth counterparts in the Premier League Cup at the Vitality Stadium.
On the decision to welcome Wilshere back to London Colney, Arteta told Arsenal.com: “What you should believe is that we want to help Jack prepare for his next stage, physically, mentally.
“He wants to do his coaching badges again and we are prepared to fulfil all the needs that he wants. That is basically the idea and it is no further than that.
“I am very happy to have him back. We had a conversation with Jack and understand the needs that he has, the period that he is going through and I think everyone at the club agreed it was the right moment to help him.
“We sat down with him and we listened to what he wanted to do and what stage he is and we are prepared to do anything we can to help him.
“He is going to be training sometimes with us, he is going to be around the place, he is going to be continuing his coaching badges that he is very interested in, try to get him fit, try to get his experiences across to our players, our young players, our academy and I think it is great influence to have around.”
The boss also highlighted what he’s hoping Wilshere will get out of his return.
“That physically he can keep himself fit, because obviously we know the issues that injuries have caused him in his career,” he said.
“The other one is that he feels love for the club, that he feels attached and with the same regard that we have for him.
“When you have been away for many years, maybe you can lose that sense or can question yourself but there is no question: we all love him, we’re happy to have him around and he is a big part of our history.”
While Arteta has played down suggestions that his former teammate could earn himself a first team contract, it’s great to see the club have brought him (and that sticky-out-tongue of his) back into the fold.
It’s important to look after your own.
Classy move. Welcome back Jack.
We’re always doing these classy things. Proud of the club.
Serious question: would Jack be decent pay as play cover in January during the African Cup when we lose at least Partey and Elneny from midfield? Or is it better to stick with the young guns and maybe call up Patino?
I’m just an old romantic, would love to see him play again for the Gunners even if it’s just a cameo.
Indeed it’s good of the club to help out. Unfortunately injuries happen in football. If Jack can share his experience with the kids coming through perhaps it’ll help them look after their bodies better and also help them deal mentally Incase injury strikes.
It will always pain me, not just as an Arsenal fan but as a football fan, that Jack was never able to fulfil his potential. He was always so great to watch and a Wilshire unblighted with injuries at the peak of his powers would’ve been one of those players who made football more exciting. Glad to see he’s back in the fold though and I hope he can help the youngsters
I want to step into the mind of someone who could downvote a benevolent and sympathetic comment like that.
Miss click or spud I suppose.
If it is a spud, Hello! Have you located your midfield yet? A lot like the significance of your football club, they seem to have been erased at the Emirates.
Yeah – definitely same 2 spu*s fans
😂😂😂😂😂💩💩💩
Its even sadder that hes not the only one, Imagine if we had WilshiEe, Diaby, Rosicky, Eduardo together without the injuries and terrible misfortune, and Filty tackles from players who should never have been allowed to play again, What a team that would have been, those players robbed of the chance to be seen among the greats
I’m sorry but whatever your (fans in general) feelings are towards him, I’ve gotta put RVP in their too.
RVP We don’t mention that guy round here, Tottenham and Man u fans in here today it seems.
While we’re on the truth serum I’d have loved to see a proper team around Cesc to see what he could’ve done for us, quality to this day.
An absolute genius was Cesc even at 17 better than Roy Keane we used to sing. I think he will manage us one day, his philosophy is more shaped by Wenger than the overly fussy and strict dogmatic Pep who he didn’t see eye to eye with.
Those last days of the invincibles is when we did see a top supporting cast for Cesc and how glorious it was.
Absolute peach of a player a boss at 17 i’d be happy to see him back at the club in some context
Always strikes me as an intelligent guy and one of us.
What a team, you are absolutely right. Although it’s sad they never reached their true potential the fleeting moments and times we dared to dream live long in the memory. Football should be for the footballers (in the true sense of the word) not the thugs who aren’t fit to lace their boots.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WkXZRHG5RxQ
Aye. It was good while it lasted
That was a great video, thanks for the link. i started following arsenal after they signed rosicky (american who played as a youth but didn’t follow the professional game until a semester abroad in prague) and that team was a real treat to watch.
That link kind of makes me sad or perhaps wistful… Rosicky, Santi, Adebayor, Diaby, Hleb, Cesc…
Shades of Flamini
Is that his biochemical deodorant brand?
No it’s his erotic novel in which he gives sp*rs a good seeing too
With xhaka our for months and us lacking a left footed midfielder who’s comfortable on the ball from deep, I have a feeling he might get back into the squad!
I think that’s the stuff of fairytales. Realistically he’d probably be a fair way from match fitness. Would love to see him get a few games but can’t see it happening.
If only a few games, that would take him into the “200 Club”!
It is the stuff of fairytales but fairytales happen quite a lot in football… Wouldn’t be expecting him to be match fit anytime time soon but come December with the build up of fixtures you never know.
I hear you Db412- what sprung to mind immediately was the, unfortunate for Arsenal FC, fairytale called Santi Cazorla. A cruel sleight of hand almost crippled him, but gloriously to return home to Spain with his eternal smile on his face. Wish it could happen for Jackie Boy; love to hear him singing the famous chant again: Tottenham are sh’t…
There was a glorious denouement to Santi’s career as he enjoyed an Indian summer with Villarreal and Spain after many had wrote him off. Never ever give up!
Don’t forget we lose Partey and El neny in January…
Take as it is he’s here to train to get his head and body in the right place that’s it.
Only good things will come of this.
I wish this 100% but knowing his injury record I can’t help but feel this is jinxing it.
I doubt we’ll need to worry Cliff. His real value I think will be in the close contact he’ll have with our younger players.
He’s a mine of experiences they can learn from in a lot of areas that will probably affect their lives sooner or later. It’s always good to have people we can learn from, who have been there done that, etc. and Wilshere qualifies.
I can only see good things from this, for both sides of the arrangement.
The man to fill Xhaka’s boots. Welcome back Jack.
Super Jack is back!
Genuinely warms my heart, there’s a love I’ll always have for the project youth players that I’ll always be that much happier when I know they are doing well for themselves.
Not many things make me emotional but this has me teary-eyed.
Welcome back, Jack.
Sometimes I love football.
Makes me happy reading this
Notice the mention of his coaching badges, good luck Jack lad
I really hope that this works out for Jack. When he wasn’t plagued by injuries, he turned in some excellent performances for us. It is a real shame, for him and for the club, that because of those injuries he never really hit the heights that he was capable of reaching. His potential was massive.
Just when I almost believed we’re no longer a Classy club that we once were…
Big up everyone involved in this noble act. Hope he gets to such good levels such that signing him albeit on “per play” terms in January becomes a no brainer to the authorities that be, and then he goes on to torment the spu*s in the reverse fixture.
Get in there super Jackie!
He’s a free agent at close of the last window so we don’t have to wait until Jan to register him
The anti Ronaldo – often seen with a Cigarette 🚬 in the mouth, large Whisky 🥃 in hand struggling to find a club. The young players can learn alot from him.
They can, “look how amazing my potential was…I didn’t take care of my self or my career, knuckle down and give some loyalty to this classy club and the rewards will be priceless”
Arsenal is class
Welcome home Jack!
Such a sad story. Ten years ago I predicted that Jack would win at least 80 England caps and become PL all-time great. The injuries destroyed all that. He should concentrate on getting his badges and hopefully develop a career in coaching and management. Good luck to him. Terrible news about Newcastle yesterday, wasn’t it? Now we’ll have to compete with yet another abomination of a football club that’s fuelled by money it doesn’t commercially earn. It wouldn’t surprise me if the first thing they do is to try and nick our best players like City did. We need a… Read more »
100% behind this club decision. Despite not finishing his career with us, he was and always will be ‘one of our own’. If we can help him with his career, with his fitness and with his mental health, we absolutely should. Saw him in a pre-season game at Barnet, aged 17, blew my mind with how good I thought he’d become.
Excellent!
Could never quite warm up to him – I felt like he had been annointed as the next Great English Midfielder far too early and it went into his head. Him leaving on loan when our midfield was there for the taking also left a bad taste in my mouth. But this is exactly the kind of move the club should be making. Whether he reached his potential or not, he played for us for a long time and was responsible for a lot of good moments. We should help our own. Just make sure to always check the washing… Read more »
Yes , Always check the washing machine. Wise words indeed.
What do we think of Tottenham?!
This makes me very happy.
Good on you Jack! Nice one Arsenal.
Good old Jack. Still can’t put that tongue away. However this transpires I hope it makes him happy.
I wouldn’t mind Arsenal signing Jack in January on a short-term deal. I love Jack.
On another note Newcastle’s takeover will make the league even more competitive. Good luck to the toon army they have suffered for long enough.
Could be a good move as Wilshere is no stranger to a Partey!
Welcome back Jackie boy!
I read an article on the BBC earlier about how clubs are signing players to play exclusively as over-aged players in their u23 squads (combined with coaching roles) to help with developing the kids. Jack could be our answer to that in the short term
There was always a bit of the cartoon character scrappy doo about Jack as he didn’t let his lack of height and weight stop him from a getting into a fight – let me at em uncle scoob!
And he can hit a blabbering Scotsman with a slice of pizza at twenty paces.
Interesting to read through a lot of the comments on here where most contributors have been making positive comments about Jack with some even wistfully hoping that he could get back to level where he could be offered a short term playing contract, a very nice thought which I would love to see come to pass if unlikely.
Of course the disappointing thing is those that downvote those comments, why is that, do you hate Jack that much?
With Xhaka out for 2-3 months and the African tourney in winter, would it be possible we see Jack in a couple of games? I have no idea what kind of shape hes at currently, but if he train with us for a while… Could we see him on the bench in a cup game or something? One can hope
Can’t find the article but remember Barney Ronay writing about how Wilshere’s presence in England training sped noticeably everything up.
Loved him as an Arsenal player and love that he’s got the opportunity to train
We know what Jack thinks about Tottenham!
If it wasn’t for his wages then I’m sure there would have been plenty of offers.
No one would accept a pay as you play deal. And no club is offering the same level of wages for players the wrong side of 26 years old in this market.
But a low basic with performance add on, or an automatic extension at a high basic in the second year would make sense if he makes a certain threshold of appearances
I really don’t see what we will do when Partey is away for the African Cup of Nations.
Xhaka doesn’t work at even 60% of the Xhaka Partey pairing when combined with whoever is left in the first team squad.
Patino is the internal solution, but he needs games ASAP to get up to speed.
Great news, hope he gets fit and sorts out the coaching side. Good luck to him.
Abraham has returned to the England squad after his stellar play at Roma this season.
The word from the training ground is Jack has been smoking hot! 🚬🚬🚬🚬
He has lit up a few games over the years! 🚬🚬🚬
Vonnie’s favourite. 🤣
They brought Jack back into the fold from the Shadows so that he can strengthen his bones
A quote from an article by someone who shares my opinion of Arteta. “Arteta has not only targeted quality, he also targeted character. These signings have all proven to be popular with the fanbase. Mikel Arteta has incredibly overseen multiple transfer signings that can only be described as perfect in terms of their character, quality, age profile, and the fan connection to them. These are exactly the profiles that a rebuilding club needs. This is not just remarkable profiling from a 36-year-old coach hired halfway through a tumultuous season, it is ridiculous, maybe even miraculous considering the odds.” Form comes… Read more »
Vitally important that the club conducts itself as such. Very proud to be an Arsenal fan, and glad Jack is being looked after