Jack Wilshere is back at Arsenal as a coach after spending the bulk of his playing career in North London, but Bournemouth fans will have fond memories of the midfielder's loan spell - even if things got off to an unusual start.
The England international moved to the south coast for the 2016-17 season off the back of an injury-hit campaign in North London. He stayed fit enough to feature 27 times in the Premier League under then-manager Eddie Howe, with the Cherries finishing ninth, still their best ever final position in the league.
Manager Eddie Howe was a big part of the success, making the most of loan signings Wilshere and Nathan Ake. Dutch defender Ake would join permanently from Chelsea at the end of the season, while Wilshere returned to Arsenal for what would be a farewell season for both him and Arsene Wenger.
In August 2016, though, Wilshere fell foul of one of Howe's personal rules. And it's one that stuck with him, as he recalled the first-day faux pas several years later.
“I’ve had a few [strict] managers,” Wilshere told talkSPORT host and former England international Darren Bent in 2021. “Eddie Howe was like that, wouldn’t let you sit on a football.
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“I don’t know [why he had that rule] really, I remember my first day I sat on a ball and the lads were like ‘get up, get up, get up!’ I was like, ‘why?’ and they were like, ‘you’re not allowed to!’”
Wilshere quickly endeared himself to Howe, though. He barely missed a game under the manager until injury kept him out of the run-in, where Bournemouth climbed seven places in the final five weeks of the campaign.
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Wilshere is now in charge of Arsenal's Under-18s (David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)Now 32, Wilshere briefly returned to Bournemouth in 2021 before finishing his playing career in Denmark with AGF. He took charge of Arsenal's Under-18 side in the summer of 2022, reaching the FA Youth Cup final in his first season and flying high in the Under-18 Premier League in his second year.
In his current role, he has helped bring through youngsters who have gone on to link up with Arsenal's first team. Ethan Nwaneri made his senior Gunners debut in 2022, while defender Ayden Heaven made the bench for the Champions League round of 16 match against Porto, and 14-year-old Max Dowman is tipped to be one of the next to step up
"There's always a concern when fielding such a young player in these matches, but if you're good enough you're old enough," Wilshere said of the teenager, who scored his first goal at Under-18 level in April. "He can be more consistent but he's only 14 and hasn't even started his GCSEs yet.
"We need to find a balance of letting him play and enjoy the game because of his age but also trying to get as much work into him as we can. Hopefully, we can fast-track him and when he goes over to the first team he'll be more ready."
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