Former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere is a candidate for the Plymouth vacancy, talkSPORT understands.

The 34-time England international retired as a player in 2022 and has since taken to the dugout.

Getty

Having coached Arsenal’s under-18s, the 33-year-old stepped up to senior football by becoming an assistant at Norwich under Johannes Hoff Thorup at the start of the 2024/25 season.

Thorup was sacked in April and Wilshere was put in interim charge at the club, recording a 0-0 draw against Middlesbrough and a 4-2 win over Cardiff in his two matches.

Norwich failed in their Championship promotion push, meanwhile, Plymouth were relegated to League One.

The Devon side started the campaign under Wilshere’s former England teammate Wayne Rooney but called time on the Manchester United legend in January.

Miron Muslic arrived from Cercle Brugge to see a dramatic upturn in form, but Argyle were still relegated to League One.

Muslic departed at the end of the season to struggling German giants Schalke, vacating the Plymouth role that Wilshere is now a candidate for.

Norwich earlier confirmed that they wouldn’t be keeping Wilshere on as permanent head coach.

talkSPORT understands that after conversations between the club and coach the Canaries decided to go in a different direction.

Norwich later said in a statement: “The club will now progress with its plans of appointing a new permanent head coach in due course.”

The Championship side are set to appoint Norwich-born talent Liam Manning who impressed by guiding Bristol City to the play-offs.

Wilshere headed straight into coaching after retiring as a player and was at the helm of Arsenal’s U18s, taking them to the FA Youth Cup final where they lost to West Ham.

Getty

He was later interviewed by MLS side Colorado Rapids in October 2023.

Speaking to talkSPORT about his promotion as Norwich’s interim coach at the end of the season, Wilshere was clearly shocked.

“I obviously had this ambition, but probably didn’t think it would come straight away, or this quickly,” he said.

“You don’t really have time to mentally prepare. I didn’t really have time to. You get a feeling after we’ve had a few bad results and you get a feeling about the atmosphere not being great and the environment.

“I was behind the manager. We were all behind the manager and we were all trying to help him get some results and get some performances.

“And then, all of a sudden, you get a phone call and things change really quickly.

“Honestly, I got a phone call on Tuesday morning after our game on Monday, maybe 10 a.m. as I made my way to the training ground and I’ve been there ever since. This is the first time I’ve left.”

He continued: “Suddenly I’m the decision-maker now, you’re speaking to the players, you’re addressing them, you’re their leader, they’re looking at you.

“Whereas when you’re a coach, you still lead in a certain type of way, but you’re led by the manager and what he wants and what the training session is. Now all of a sudden you’re setting the training sessions.”