Jack Wilshere in talk to join Norwich City coaching staff.
Norwich City are in advanced discussions with Arsenal to appoint Jack Wilshere to Johannes Hoff Thorup’s first-team coaching staff.
The former Arsenal and England midfielder has agreed to succeed Narcis Pelach at Carrow Road in the role of first-team coach, and confidence is increasing over the prospect of a deal being struck.
Wilshere was City’s unanimous first choice for the position after sounding out several candidates. After holding talks over the position last week, the 32-year-old emerged as their preferred option.
A compensation package is in the process of being agreed with Arsenal, where he’s currently working as the under-18s manager, and the deal is expected to be confirmed in the coming days, barring any late hitches. It’s understood the Premier League challengers are proud of Wilshere’s trajectory amid interest from the Canaries and would sanction a departure.
City sporting director Ben Knapper and Wilshere have a close relationship stemming back to their collective time at Arsenal, and that has prompted the former England star to make the jump to Norfolk to assist Thorup on his Carrow Road journey.
A deal to allow Wilshere to link up with the Canaries squad at Colney could be finalised by the start of next week but he isn’t expected be on the bench alongside Thorup, Glen Riddersholm, Nick Stanley and new goalkeeper coach Tony Roberts for Saturday’s trip to Stoke.
City’s search began when Stoke poached Pelach to succeed Steven Schumacher as head coach last month. Academy manager Joe Shulberg has been occupying the position on an interim basis as the search for a replacement continued.
After initial conversations with Randers coach Fatah Abdirahman and another unnamed coach at an overseas club, also understood to be familiar to Knapper, City have turned to Wilshere to step into the role.
City are thought to have been impressed by both of the final two candidates in remote talks that took place last week, but Wilshere’s detail and willingness to take the challenge gave him the nod over his nearest challenger.
Wilshere called time on his own playing career after a brief spell in Denmark with AGF before officially retiring from the game aged 30 in July 2022, becoming a coach within Arsenal’s academy later that month.
Coaching has reconnected Wilshere’s love for the game after a struggle with injury, form and consistency in the latter stages of a career that saw him become a twice FA Cup winner, play 197-times for Arsenal and record 34 caps for England.
“I love it, honestly,” he told the Independent of his first year in coaching back in April 2023
“It’s given me back the real deep love for football and I didn’t know I’d lost it to be honest. I came back here last year and I was coaching a bit, training a bit.
“I love it. On the grass, trying to beat teams, trying to work out a way to play against teams, trying to develop an individual.”
Wilshere has previously been linked with head coach roles of his own – including holding talks with MLS side Colorado Rapids and having reportedly applied for the Aberdeen vacancy earlier this year.
Thorup confirmed at his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s trip that they were closing in on Pelach’s successor.
“We are getting closer. I think we can say we are close to finding the candidate we want,” he said. “And then, of course, there’s discussions between clubs and agents. There’s so many parts of this where to set a timeline on it is sometimes tricky and sometimes difficult, but again, we are getting closer.
“Whether it’s going to be for Stoke, I think it’s maybe too optimistic. But, of course, it can develop quickly, so there’s a chance, but maybe more realistic to say start of next week.”
