What David Ornstein had heard about Jack Wilshere from Arsenal insiders as he takes on Norwich City manager’s role

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Arsenal have done a great job at keeping hold of their star players in recent years.

Indeed, while Real Madrid do want William Saliba, Saliba is still an Arsenal player, while Saudi Arabian clubs wanted Gabriel Magalhaes, but he’s stayed at Arsenal too.

Meanwhile, Bukayo Saka is set for a new contract at Arsenal as well.

However, despite all of their great work in keeping hold of their players, Arsenal haven’t done such a brilliant job in keeping hold of key staff members.

Edu resigned from Arsenal earlier this year, Vinai Venkatesham left Arsenal last year, and he is set to join Tottenham now, while Jack Wilshere left Arsenal to join Norwich earlier this year.

Wilshere is now set to manage Norwich’s first-team until the end of the season after Johannes Hoff Thorup was sacked.

Speaking on the Sky Sports Back Pages Podcast, David Ornstein has been discussing Wilshere’s coaching career, and according to the journalist Jack Wilshere is highly thought of at Arsenal, so much so, they didn’t want him to leave.

• READ MORE: David Ornstein says ‘phenomenal’ player would rather join Man Utd than Arsenal

Arsenal wanted to keep Jack Wilshere

Ornstein shared what he knows about the 33-year-old.

The journalist says Arsenal wanted to keep Wilshere, claiming that they rate him highly as a coaching figure.

“I think if Arsenal had their way, they would have kept him at the club. And not only because he’s an Arsenal man, but because he’s said to be a really impressive coach and character. Somebody who’s very popular and can relate to players from his recent playing career, but also assimilate into the coaching world with his own ideas and tactics and ambitions.

So he’s gone to Norwich and there’s a link through Ben Knapper, who was the loans manager at Arsenal and is now the sporting director at Norwich. And he’s got this opportunity, only a couple of games until the end of the season. And one of them is against Aaron Ramsey, his former teammate when they played Cardiff on the final day.

But Jack Wilshere, I think, has a great chance to go far in coaching. I’d back him to do really well. And from speaking to people that have seen him working at close quarters, they do too.

So, yeah, it’s a fascinating little development there. And let’s see what it blossoms into in terms of Norwich or elsewhere.”

What Arsene Wenger said about Jack Wilshere managing Arsenal

Wilshere was a highly-rated coach during his time at Arsenal, and he’s been held in this regard for a long time.

Indeed, even back in his playing days, Wilshere was tipped for a career in management.

Via Sky Sports, Arsene Wenger actually tipped Wilshere to become the Arsenal manager one day.

“Certainly one day he will be in my seat,” Wenger said.

“He has a real football brain and understands football. You know really, it’s in his genes. I see him in the future at this club of course. He will spend his life in football, he is a football man.

“He has an eye on everybody, it’s in him. You have that or you haven’t got it, but he is a real football man.”

Wilshere is currently at Norwich, but, who knows? Maybe one day he’ll be back in north London in a more senior coaching capacity with Arsenal.