Jack Wilshere has revealed that being told by then-manager Unai Emery he would not be in the starting XI forced him to leave Arsenal in 2018, ending a 17-year association with the club. The 34-year-old, who joined Arsenal's academy at age nine, described the departure as a 'tough time' and said he felt the club was his family.
Wilshere's final season at Arsenal in 2017/18 saw a revival in form, raising hopes he could remain at his boyhood club. However, the appointment of Unai Emery as Arsene Wenger's successor quickly ended those hopes. Reflecting in 2020, Wilshere said contract discussions dragged on from February, and once Emery made his position clear, he knew he had to leave.
After leaving Arsenal on a free transfer, Wilshere joined West Ham United, where injury problems limited him to 19 appearances in two seasons. His contract was cancelled by mutual consent in October 2020, and brief spells at Bournemouth and Danish side AGF followed before he retired from playing in July 2022 at age 30.
Wilshere returned to Arsenal as Under-18s head coach, working with talents like Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri. He is now manager of League One side Luton Town, having taken over in October 2025 and winning the Vertu Trophy in April 2026 with a 3-1 victory over Stockport County.
This afternoon, Wilshere will watch as Arsenal face West Ham at the London Stadium in a crucial Premier League match. With Arsenal chasing the title and West Ham fighting relegation, his loyalties remain clear: he hopes his former club can secure a result that keeps their championship hopes alive.
