Jack Wilshere: Former Arsenal and England midfielder '100%' believes he can keep on playing
- Published
Jack Wilshere - I've got so much more to give
Former Arsenal and England midfielder Jack Wilshere says he has thought about retirement even though he '100%' believes he can keep on playing.
Wilshere has been without a club since being released by Bournemouth in May.
The 29-year-old is back at Arsenal mixing training with the first-team and Under-23 squad with some coaching.
"If you want to go on to become a successful coach or manager, you have to get as much experience as you can," Wilshere told BBC Sport.
The former West Ham player has not played a competitive match since coming on as a late substitute in Bournemouth's 1-0 win over Brentford in the first leg of the Championship play-offs on 17 May.
He is hoping to relaunch his career in January but wonders whether his reputation for being injury-prone may be an issue.
"I have to think about it," he said when asked about the possibility of retirement.
"That is why I am doing the coaching. I have been forced into doing it a little bit but I am grateful for the opportunity."
Wilshere, who has 34 England caps, is following the example of new Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard, who took a coaching role in the Liverpool academy when he ended his own playing career.
However, at 36, Gerrard was much older than Wilshere is now when he ended his playing days at LA Galaxy in 2016.
Wilshere played 36 times in stints at West Ham and Bournemouth after leaving Arsenal in 2018.
Jack Wilshere helped Arsenal win the FA Cup in 2014 and 2015
He thinks if offers do come, they are likely to be abroad.
"I 100% think I can still play," he added.
"I don't care what people say or write or what they say on social media. I am an honest guy. If I didn't think I could, I would be the first to say 'enough, I am going to do something else'.
"But I am almost at the point where I think something different, abroad, might be beneficial to me."
Our coverage of your Premier League club is bigger and better than ever before - follow your team and sign up for notifications in the BBC Sport app to make sure you never miss a moment
