Arsenal make key Jack Wilshere future decision

Jack is back. Jack Wilshere is also still, somehow, just 29 years old. That it feels as though he has been around for an eternity is a testament to how long he’s been playing among the top players of England and Europe. Yet injuries have taken their toll on the great Arsenal made talent, and he is certainly diminished from what he was during his best years.

It has been sad to see this happen to him, and reading about his struggles, his son, and all that comes with living and loving football from a playing perspective, was really troubling. When Mikel Arteta reached out through his press conference I was sure that it was the correct decision to make. He should have brought back – in whatever capacity.

While Jack may not be good enough to be starting for Arsenal anymore, and wouldn’t likely even make the team at this point as a player, his presence at London Colney will be beneficial for the boss, as well as the young men that Arteta will be continuing to try to mold throughout the season.

For Jack meanwhile, it will feel good to train back with the Arsenal, around guys and an environment he can feel comfortable with, feeling a purpose to his training and regiment as a result. While he will not likely play for Arsenal again, he might yet have a chance to work with the players, and perhaps even join Arteta’s staff in some capacity eventually, should the situation work for everyone involved.

Jack Wilshere: A playing career ended by injuries too soon, but what of a coaching career at Arsenal after key decision?

Jack Wilshere is at the end of his playing career. And it’s not for his lack of effort, of course. Sometimes injuries can eat away at a player’s potential and so sideline him before his natural time has come. For Jack, I’m sure that he has already gone through this sort of mourning process, and probably continues to work through it. It is not easy, but being around football in some capacity can help ease this pain and, in fact, transition the player into a role as a coach where he can still use his excellent footballing IQ where his physical abilities have failed him. No all good players make good coaches, however.

Whether this begins at Arsenal, or at another club that might be able to use him and his insights, this should be the next step in the player’s evolution. As I stated previously, he has the potential to be a really useful piece for Arteta’s side, from his understanding of shapes and concepts, to his own imagination and creativity.

He can really make an impact for a team that has so much malleable youth, which the Gunners certainly have. Other clubs too would be fortunate to have the young man helping to guide them in some capacity; small to begin with, only to rise up the ranks eventually.

Arteta might even find it easier to rationalize bringing him on board with him thanks to their shared connection to the great Arsene Wenger, and his own belief in people and working with and alongside them. He knows that Jack can no longer provide those attributes on the pitch that he was once capable of, yet while still with youth left in him, he has an incredible amount that he can still give to a club, its players, and fans alike.

While it is a shame that the player is no longer capable of playing at the high level he was once expected to perform at, it is positive that the club did not re-sign him last season.

He is past his playing prime, and must come to grips with that. Coming to train with The Arsenal is a step in that direction, and could very well convince him to pursue the game of football with his mind instead of his body going forward. The sport will be better off with him still a part of it, and this is a sentiment I think everyone should be able to share in some capacity.