Former Arsenal star favourite for Plymouth Argyle job | OneFootball

Jack Wilshere has emerged as the leading contender to take over at Plymouth Argyle, with the former Arsenal and England midfielder attracting serious interest following his departure from Norwich City.

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Jack Wilshere is the front-runner to take charge at Plymouth Argyle following the departure of Karboui Muslic, with the former Arsenal and England midfielder the favourite to step into his first full-time managerial role.

The 33-year-old left Norwich City at the end of May after a short spell on the coaching staff, during which he served as interim head coach for the final two games of the Championship season.

Despite an impressive win against Cardiff City and backing from within the squad, he was overlooked for the permanent role and opted to leave in pursuit of a senior coaching position.

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Wilshere’s availability and rising stock make him an appealing option for Argyle, who are searching for a new manager after allowing Muslic to join Schalke. In his statement to the German club, Muslic thanked Plymouth for facilitating talks, saying: “First of all, my thanks go to Plymouth Argyle. They made it possible for me to begin talks with FC Schalke 04.”

Wilshere has made clear his ambition to take the next step in management since retiring at 30 after a career hampered by injury. He began coaching at Arsenal’s academy, guiding the Under-18s to the FA Youth Cup final in 2023.

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He then joined Norwich as assistant to Johannes Hoff Thorup in October 2024, and took over the reins after Thorup’s dismissal. Norwich sporting director Ben Knapper, also formerly of Arsenal, praised Wilshere’s contribution, saying: “Jack made a big impact here in the time he was with us. He built great connections with our players and staff, and we’re all sad to see him move on.”

Players at Carrow Road were also vocal in their support. Full-back Jack Stacey said: “I think I can speak for all of the changing room, I think we’d be delighted for Jack to get it.”

Other candidates for the job include David Wagner, Ian Evatt, and Adin Osmanbasic.