After Liam Manning took over as interim manager of Norwich City at the end of the previous season, Jack Wilshere acknowledged that the club had hired a “really good coach” in Manning.
At one point, it seemed as though Ben Knapper, the sporting director of the Canaries, was training the former manager of Arsenal’s under-18 team, with whom he had previously worked as the Premier League team’s loans manager.
But that hypothesis never really came to anything, as Wilshere opted to leave the Canaries after realising he wouldn’t be able to fill the open manager position at Carrow Road.
Wilshere, who was hired into Johannes Hoff Thorup’s backroom staff in October for his first senior football position, was saddened to learn that he would not be succeeding the Dane, according to his former Gunners colleague. Moving away from Norfolk allowed him to keep his possibilities for head coaching open, which is something he hopes to do someday.
Jack Wilshere reflects on Norwich City tenure and makes Liam Manning claim
The 33-year-old is yet to find a new role in football, following some links with Plymouth Argyle, but he is still very much involved in the sport. He featured in Sunday’s Soccer Aid game at Old Trafford. Speaking prior to the weekend, Wilshere reflected on his time at Carrow Road and backed Manning to do a good job in the role that he was gunning for.
“I left Norwich. I had a great time in Norwich and really enjoyed it,” he told talkSPORT.
“I really enjoyed the last two games where I got the opportunity to be the head coach. They have brought in a really good coach, and I thought it was just time for me to move on.”
In the end, Jack Wilshere’s choice for Norwich was the right one.
In contrast to Wilshere, Manning has a different level of experience. With several positions across the EFL’s divisions, their new Norwich-born manager, who cost the Canaries £800,000 in compensation to acquire from Bristol City, is well-established in the coaching ranks.
Although he believes the former assistant would succeed in his new career, Knapper intimated that Wilshere’s lack of years in the position was a factor in his decision to not hire the former England midfielder.
“I have no doubt that he will be an excellent head coach. He’s ambitious and hungry,” he remarked. Since we’ve been here, everything we’ve observed of him points to his arrival at that location. However, I didn’t feel that this was that specific point in time given where he is in his journey.”
