Following his appointment as Luton Town manager, Jack Wilshere is making a name for himself as the Hatters' new head coach.
The former Arsenal star arrived at Kenilworth Road in October, replacing Matt Bloomfield in the dugout. Having played Premier League football just two seasons ago, they were languishing in 11th place in League One following back-to-back relegations and in dire need of improvement if they wanted to make a return to the Championship.
Appointing Wilshere was a slight gamble, given the former England international's lack of extensive managerial experience. Following his retirement in 2022, the 33-year-old spent time in charge of Arsenal's under-18 side, before moving to Norwich City as a first-team coach. He would ultimately end up as interim coach of the Canaries for their final two league matches of the 2024/25 season after the departure of Johannes Hoff Thorup, but he then left Carrow Road at the end of the season.
Having come through the ranks of Luton's youth academy before he moved to Arsenal at the age of nine, a return to the Hatters was too good to turn down. And he's made quite the impression in his first five matches.
Wilshere's Luton Have Won Four Games in a Row
Luton Town manager Jack Wilshere against gestures against Forest Green Rovers.
FA Cup - First Round - Luton Town v Forest Green Rovers - Kenilworth Road, Luton, Britain - October 31, 2025 Luton Town manager Jack Wilshere Action Images/Matthew Childs
Since losing 2-0 to Mansfield Town in Wilshere's first game in charge, where he was met with some ruthless chanting, the Hatters have gone on a tear in their next four games. Picking up three wins in League One matches and one in the FA Cup against Forest Green Rovers, they look to have hit form under their new coach.
The finest performance to date, though, came on Saturday afternoon. Travelling to face league leaders Stockport County, Wilshere's side were unphased and beat their promotion rivals 3-0. That saw them rise to ninth in the table, with just three points separating them from the play-off spots with 14 games played so far.
Jack Wilshere's statistics as Luton Town manager.
Speaking after Saturday's result, goalscorer and creator of Luton's third, Jake Richards, praised the influence the new manager has had on the squad and his game in particular: "The coaches have really helped me since they've come in with little details and giving me the confidence to do what I want on the pitch.
"They've given me a role on the right that I'm not used to but I'm adapting to it. They've been brilliant since they came in."
In his post-match interview, Wilshere said that he was not resting on his laurels, but he's happy with what he's seen so far. He said: "We have to deliver the same performance with the same energy [in our next game]. There's going to be ups and downs throughout the season and throughout games, but I'm really happy with the performance and how we suffered and kept together [against Stockport].
"We always have to do that because this league is tough, you can come to places which are difficult, but credit to the players, they deserve that."
Fans Sing Wilshere's Praises After Stockport Win
jack wilshere luton twon
While Wilshere will no doubt be focusing on Luton's next game against Rotherham next Saturday, supporters online have been quick to praise the impact that the former Arsenal star has made in his initial weeks in charge. One wrote:
"Jack Wilshere, Thank you! This is the most "Luton" it's felt around here since the Premier League. The bold decision to appoint him is paying off."
Another supporter echoed that, saying, "Chris Powell at the end what a man. This togetherness at Luton right now is incredible. Jack Wilshere you have turned it around 4 wins out of 5. I speak for all Luton fans we love you mate."
One more added that they had done a complete U-turn on the 33-year-old's appointment, writing, "I wasn't happy at all when I saw Wilshere as favourite for the job but he's done a brilliant job so far, 4 wins in 4 and a very convincing win at Stockport today. We can definitely still challenge for the title."
Although Luton might be six points off top spot, the idea that they can push up the table now was common amongst fans. One Hatter said, "To have turned around the horrific mess we were to the improvement in every game, to this today. Weathered the storm, battled, clinical, cohesive team play, fighting for each other, sublime counters, smashed the leaders & should have been at least 4. Some going from JW&team imo!"