Former Arsenal and England star Jack Wilshere has announced his retirement from professional football.
The central midfielder made 197 appearances for the Gunners, scoring on 14 occasions while providing 30 assists. During his time at the Emirates Stadium he won two FA Cups and one FA Community Shield.
Across his career he had two loan spells with Bolton Wanderers and AFC Bournemouth, whom he later joined permanently, as well as stints with West Ham United and more recently Dutch side Aarhus Gymnastikforening where he made just 14 appearances. He also made 34 appearances for England.
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In a statement released on Twitter, Wilshere said: “It has been an unbelievable journey filled with so many incredible moments and I feel privileged to have experienced all that I did during my career. From being the little boy kicking a ball around in the garden to captaining my beloved Arsenal and playing for my country at a World Cup. I have lived my dream.”
When Wilshere emerged on the scene at Arsenal he was tipped for great things and he showed glimpses of his extraordinary talent but as his career progressed he began to suffer from injuries on a regular basis.
Reports emerged last month that he was in talks with Arsenal and their head of academy, his former teammate Per Mertesacker, over becoming head coach with the under-18s side, suggesting that his playing days were at an end. It is now expected that an announcement from Arsenal is imminent which would confirm Wilshere's first role in coaching after hanging up his boots, as per David Ornstein.
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