Jack Wilshere Appointed as New Luton Town Manager

Former Arsenal and England midfielder Jack Wilshere has been appointed as the new manager of League One side Luton Town.^[1]

The 33-year-old takes over from Matt Bloomfield, who was sacked earlier this month after less than a year in charge at Kenilworth Road.

This is Wilshere’s first full-time managerial job. He inherits a Luton side currently sitting 11th in the third tier after suffering two straight relegations. He reportedly beat Leyton Orient manager Richie Wellens to the role and has signed a three-year contract.

Wilshere will be joined by former England defender Chris Powell as his assistant. Powell had only recently joined Walsall as interim first-team coach before accepting the Luton role.

Speaking to the club’s official website, Wilshere said:

“It’s a huge honour and a privilege to be named Luton Town manager. It feels like a full-circle moment for me. I joined Luton as an eight-year-old before moving to Arsenal, so it feels like fate that my first full-time managerial job is here.

This club’s story inspires me — it’s built on belief, unity, and hard work. The character shown both on and off the pitch in recent years makes me proud to lead this team into the future.”

After retiring from playing in 2022, Wilshere managed Arsenal’s under-18 team and later joined Norwich City as a first-team coach. He briefly served as Norwich’s interim head coach for their final two Championship matches last season before leaving at the end of the campaign.

Luton’s fortunes have declined since their remarkable promotion to the Premier League in 2023 under Rob Edwards. They were relegated after one season in the top flight and then dropped again to League One last term.

Bloomfield replaced Edwards in January but struggled to change the club’s course, winning just 12 of his 33 matches in charge.

Wilshere’s first game as Luton manager will be at home against Mansfield Town on Saturday.

Hatters chief executive Gary Sweet said:

“Jack impressed everyone during our selection process with his passion for the game, his hunger to succeed as a manager, and his deep connection to Luton Town.”

Wilshere made his Arsenal debut at 16 in 2008 and went on to make nearly 200 appearances for the Gunners, winning two FA Cups. He later played for West Ham United, Bournemouth, and Danish club Aarhus before retiring at 30.

At international level, he earned 34 caps for England and featured at both the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016.