'It was tough to leave Arsenal after 17 years – but I had to after manager’s snub'

The former Arsenal star departed north London after a meeting with the manager

Jack Wilshere's loyalties will be unmistakable when two of his former sides clash in a crucial encounter this afternoon. The ex-midfielder appeared for both Arsenal and West Ham throughout his playing days.

However, his legacy and achievements with the north London side suggest he'll be backing them in their crucial Premier League showdown at the London Stadium.

While the Hammers are teetering on the edge of the drop and desperately require three points themselves, Wilshere's old colleague Mikel Arteta will be aiming to secure a result that would leave Arsenal just two matches away from clinching the Premier League title - a prize that eluded Wilshere during his own career.

Such an outcome would hold enormous significance for the 34-year-old, who was forced to depart the Gunners reluctantly after being informed by then-boss Unai Emery in 2018 that he wouldn't feature in the starting XI.

Despite his cult hero standing at the Emirates Stadium, Wilshere's career path represents one of the greatest 'what-ifs' in the club's modern era. The midfielder joined Arsenal's youth setup aged nine and progressed through the system to establish himself as a senior regular.

During his breakthrough campaign in 2010/11, Wilshere was regarded as perhaps England's most exciting prospect, memorably producing a commanding midfield performance against Xavi and Andres Iniesta of Barcelona in the 2-1 Champions League triumph at home. He went on to claim two FA Cup medals under Arsene Wenger, but the rest of his Arsenal stint was hit by ankle problems, initially picked up during a pre-season friendly against the New York Red Bulls in the summer of 2011.

His final campaign at Arsenal, the 2017/18 season, witnessed the skilful midfielder experience something of a revival, offering him optimism that he could still have a future at his boyhood club. However, the appointment of Unai Emery as a replacement for long-serving boss Wenger swiftly extinguished those hopes, and Wilshere reluctantly departed on a free transfer.

Reflecting on how his abrupt exit unfolded two years previously, Wilshere said in 2020: "I felt like it went on forever because the discussions probably started in February and then we got to a point where I was going to sign a contract. I wanted to stay at the club, I love the club, I knew everyone at the club, I felt like it was my family and then Arsene left so that dragged on.

"They didn't announce Emery for a while and the club was going in a different direction. I had conversations with my dad, my family, my wife, my agent around that time about waiting to see who came in [as manager]. To see if he liked me because of the way the contract was set up.

"It seemed like it went on forever and then as soon as Emery said to me, 'Look, you're not in my starting XI,' I was like, 'Okay, right, I need to leave.' It was very difficult as I said, it felt like Arsenal was my family."

He added: "I was part of Arsenal, it's a massive club and I was a big part of it, it was difficult. It was a sad time to leave and even now I look back and think, 'Yeah, that was a tough time.'"

Wilshere moved to West Ham on a free transfer that summer. He remained with the Hammers for two seasons, featuring just 19 times across all competitions owing to ongoing injury problems, before his deal was cancelled by mutual consent in October 2020 with 12 months still to run.

Brief stints at Bournemouth and Danish outfit AGF followed, with Wilshere eventually calling time on his playing career in July 2022 aged 30. He subsequently returned to Arsenal, though, as Under-18s head coach, working with talents such as Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman.

He is presently managing League One outfit Luton Town, who secured seventh place this season. The Gunners legend took the reins at the Hatters in October 2025 and secured his maiden trophy as a boss in April with a 3-1 triumph over Stockport County in the Vertu Trophy Final.