Arsene Wenger Explains Why Jack Wilshere Retiring Is The “Right Decision”

Arsene Wenger Explains Why Jack Wilshere Retiring Is The “Right Decision.” Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has backed Jack Wilshere’s decision to retire from football at the age of 30, calling it the “right decision.”

Wilshere made the statement on social media on Friday, preferring to call it quits after his short-term contract with Danish club AGF expired.

When his contract with West Ham was ended a few months earlier, the player signed with Bournemouth and made 14 appearances for them during the second half of the 2020–21 season.

Wilshere made his debut in 2008 at the age of just 16, but injuries ended up defining his professional life. Under Wenger’s tutelage, he developed into a crucial first-team member for Arsenal in the 2010–11 campaign, making 49 appearances across all competitions.

However, a preseason ankle injury kept him out the entire 2011–12 season, and it could be said that his career never bounced back. After being released from Arsenal in 2018, he was having trouble holding onto a spot there by 2015 and his move to West Ham did not help his once-promising career take off.

“He was brave, he was talented, he wasn’t scared of anybody. Which is why we thought he could start at a very young age. Straight away he showed he had the ability to be a main player,” Wenger has now said of Wilshere in an interview with Sky Sports.

“He was an exceptional talent, but didn’t play enough games because of injury and in the end that is why he’s had to stop. It’s very difficult for a star like he was when you cannot play at your best anymore. That’s difficult to swallow. Which is why I think he’s taken the right decision.”

🗣️ "Well for me it's a sad moment because Jack is an exceptional football player" 💔

Arsene Wenger gives his reaction to Jack Wilshere's retirement pic.twitter.com/w37b835gTl

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) July 8, 2022

Wilshere is anticipated to start his coaching career with Arsenal’s Under-18 squad right away.