Jack Wilshere made his football retirement public.
Jack Wilshere, a former midfielder for Arsenal and a member of the England national team, has announced his retirement from the game of football at the age of 30.
After breaking through with the Gunners as a skilled attacker, Wilshere was once seen as the future of the national team. However, he had a significant number of injuries that ultimately hindered his ability to perform consistently and at the top level. Although having
139 of the nearly 200 times he appeared for Arsenal between 2008–09 and 2017–18 occurred before the age of 24.
After spending time on loan at Bolton as a youth, he spent another season away at Bournemouth in his last season as an Arsenal player. However, a subsequent move to West Ham United did not entirely resurrect his career.
Prior to another brief transfer back to the Cherries, he only made 16 appearances for them in the Premier League. Wilshere joined Danish Superliga team AGF in Aarhus last season but left at the conclusion of the season.
He gave a comprehensive explanation of his choice to forego looking for a new club after his time in Denmark in a lengthy post on Twitter.
“I am declaring today that I will no longer play professional football.
“I feel fortunate to have had all the experiences I have in my profession after a fantastic journey filled with so many great events. From playing catch in the backyard as a young boy to leading my beloved Arsenal and competing for my nation at a World Cup.
When Wilshere made his Three Lions debut, he was among the top ten youngest players in England history. Wilshere went on to win 34 caps for England, including two in the 2014 World Cup.
The former Arsenal physio Colin Lewin, former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, and Gunners great Pat Rice were among those thanked by the player for his contributions to his early career.
He remarked, “Thank you to all the previous coaches from my senior career, and in particular to Roy Hodgson and Eddie Howe, who are both excellent managers who showed faith in me at crucial junctures in my career and when I needed it most.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you Arsenal supporters—the finest fans on the globe. Being able to play for you all has been an honour. I appreciate your constant encouragement, and I hope I did you good by representing your club. I’ll always be a Gooner and I’ll never forget how you supported me no matter what.
