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Jack Wilshere Retires Aged 30 As Arsenal Pay Tribute To Former Captain

Former England international Jack Wilshere has announced his retirement from soccer at the age of 30. Wilshere will best be remembered for his time at Arsenal.

Robert Summerscales

Jack Wilshere Retires Aged 30 As Arsenal Pay Tribute To Former Captain
Jack Wilshere Retires Aged 30 As Arsenal Pay Tribute To Former Captain /

Former England international Jack Wilshere has announced his retirement from soccer at the age of 30.

Wilshere will be best remembered for his time at Arsenal.

He joined the Gunners aged nine and broke into the first team at 16.

Wilshere became a fans' favorite at Arsenal and won two FA Cups with the club.

But he left Arsenal in 2018 before going on the play for West Ham, Bournemouth and finally AGF in Aarhus, Denmark.

Wilshere published a statement in which he admitted that his career had been "slipping away in recent times".

Wilshere, who represented England 34 times between 2010 and 2016, wrote: "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."

Jack Wilshere pictured wearing the Arsenal captain's armband in 2018
Jack Wilshere pictured wearing the Arsenal captain's armband in 2018 :: IMAGO/PRiME Media Images/Andy Rowland

He added: "In truth it has been difficult to accept that my career has been slipping away in recent times due to reasons outside of my control whilst feeling that I have still had so much to give.

"Having played at the very highest level I have always held such ambitions within the game and if I am truthful I did not envisage being in this position at times.

"However, having had time to reflect and talk with those closest with me I know that now is the right time and despite the difficult moments I look back on my career with great pride at what I have achieved."

Wilshere retires having played 182 games in the Premier League, scoring eight goals and providing 18 assists.

Although he only scored eight EPL goals, two of them won the BBC's Goal of the Season award on Match of the Day - in 2013/14 and 2014/15.

Wilshere played at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and at Euro 2016.

"I have enjoyed every moment of my career and it has been the journey of a lifetime," Wilshere reflected.

"Now is the right time to close this chapter but I still have so much to give to the game and I am excited about what the future holds."

Arsenal's social media team responded to Wilshere's statement by posting some pictures from his Gunners career.

The photos were accompanied by the words: "Our Jack... For that game against Barca to that goal against Norwich, and everything in between - we love you.

"A star on the pitch and a supporter off it. You lived the dream. Congratulations on an incredible career, @JackWilshere".

Published
Robert Summerscales
ROBERT SUMMERSCALES

Robert Summerscales launched FanNation Futbol in February 2022. Rob is a British journalist who previously spent two years on the sports desk at the Daily Mail in London, having earlier served as editor of CaughtOffside.com. He has been to the last two FIFA Men's World Cups, in Russia and Qatar, and is looking forward to completing his hat-trick in North America in 2026.

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