Luton Town have set their sights on former Arsenal and England midfielder Jack Wilshere as a potential candidate to replace Matt Bloomfield, according to reports.
The Hatters have endured a miserable return to League One, just 15 months after they were playing Premier League football. Under Rob Edwards, they were widely praised for their performances in the top tier but still suffered an instant return to the Championship.
Having started one of the favourites to secure promotion last season, it soon became clear that a second successive relegation battle was on the cards. This led to Matt Bloomfield coming in from Wycombe Wanderers, but he was unable to halt the slide.
Luton have struggled to get a grasp on League One football, which had led to unrest from supporters. The 41-year-old’s exit from Kenilworth Road was finally confirmed yesterday after they suffered a 2-0 defeat against Stevenage on Saturday.
Wilshere Emerges As Frontrunner
Jack Wilshere has emerged as the favourite to take the position, having been linked with a number of roles over the summer. The 33-year-old was forced into early retirement after a number of injuries in 2022, immediately taking on a coaching job at former club Arsenal.
The ex-midfielder moved to Norwich City in 2024 as first team coach and was given his first taste of senior management in April after the departure of Johannes Hoff Thorup. He impressed in his short stint in charge but was ruled out of landing the role on a full time basis in the summer by Canaries sporting director Ben Knapper.
Wilshere has made it clear that he hopes to move into management in the coming months. However, he looks to be facing competition from the likes of Russell Martin, who also found himself cast aside at the weekend. The former Southampton boss was sacked by Rangers following a 1-1 draw with Falkirk on Sunday.
Writer’s View
It’s no surprise to see Luton linked with a move for Jack Wilshere. Despite his young age, the former West Ham United star is said to be one of the hottest up-and-coming coaches in English football and is tipped to have a big career. He has been likened to former boss Arsene Wenger and was impressive in his short stint at Norwich towards the end of last season. Whether he has any ambitions of taking on a first permanent role at a League One club remains to be seen, especially one where the minimum expectation will be promotion.
