Jack Wilshere not in contention for permanent Norwich City job - Canaries players may not be thrilled | OneFootball

The Norwich City squad may be disappointed by the news that Jack Wilshere is out of the running to become the club's new head coach.

Norwich City are currently on the hunt for a new head coach following the sacking of Johannes Hoff Thorup.

Thorup made the move from FC Nordsjaelland to take over at Norwich last summer, and despite some encouraging moments during his tenure, inconsistency and defensive problems prevented his side from mounting a serious challenge for the play-offs.

Despite the Canaries' underwhelming season, it was thought that Thorup had been brought in as part of a long-term project, so there was plenty of surprise when his dismissal was announced last month, and the Dane himself admitted that he felt the goalposts had been shifted, claiming that he would have changed his approach had he known he was expected to deliver instant success.

Jack Wilshere took interim charge of Norwich for the final two games of the season, picking up four points from those matches to secure a 13th-placed finish, and it was widely expected that he would be named as the club's new permanent head coach, particularly after comments from Thorup in which he suggested the ex-England international was being prepared to step up to the top job at some stage.

However, sporting director Ben Knapper surprisingly confirmed last week that Wilshere is not in contention for the full-time role, and he is now expected to depart Carrow Road altogether, which may disappoint some members of the Canaries squad.

Jack Stacey comments hint at potential Norwich City, Jack Wilshere frustration

Norwich had failed to win any of their previous five games prior to Wilshere taking over, losing four of those, but there was a clear improvement in performances under his guidance, with his side playing some free-flowing, attacking football.

That suggested that the Canaries players had found a new sense of freedom under Wilshere, and speaking ahead of the final game of the season, defender Jack Stacey revealed that he and his team-mates were keen for the 33-year-old to be given the permanent job.

"We have complete trust in the board to pursue whoever they think is the best man for the job," Stacey told the BBC.

"Personally, and I think I can speak for all of the changing room, I think we'd be delighted for Jack to get it.

"You always want a manager that shows belief in you. The way he's come in and instilled confidence into individual players, it makes you want to do well for him and feel you can perform to your best."

As a senior member of the dressing room, it is likely that Stacey's comments represented the views of many of the Norwich squad, and there is no doubt that they were playing for Wilshere in the final two games of the season.

It seemed that Thorup never quite managed to fully convince the Canaries players of his methods, so if Wilshere had managed to achieve buy-in from them, that was a large part of the battle already won, and Knapper is risking unsettling that dynamic by making an external appointment.

Of course, it would have been wrong for Norwich to base their managerial decision entirely on performances in two games at the end of the season when there was nothing left to play for, and appointing Wilshere at the age of just 33 would have been a big gamble, so Knapper is right to listen to his gut instinct if he felt that it was too soon for the former Arsenal man to become a Championship head coach.

While Wilshere may have been popular among the Canaries dressing room, it is also fair to suggest that there may be ulterior motives behind players calling for him to be given the full-time job, particularly if they feel they could be in for an easier ride working under him than under a new manager who could bring a more disciplinarian approach.

However, if Wilshere did have the backing of the Norwich squad, it is a bold decision by Knapper to overlook him, and after parting company with Thorup, despite seemingly employing him with one eye on the future, the under-pressure sporting director could be accused of moving even further away from the club's long-term strategy.

When Wilshere was brought in as first-team coach in October, it was assumed that he was being lined up to take over from Thorup when he eventually departed the club, and recent comments by the former manager appeared to support that theory, but in dispensing with the services of both Thorup and Wilshere, it seems that Knapper is now preparing to dramatically change course.

After such an underwhelming season, a fresh vision and approach could be exactly what the Canaries need to get back on track and challenge for promotion, and with no names having been linked with the job just yet, it is difficult to assess what type of manager Knapper is looking to appoint.

However, it seems likely that Norwich will target another young, up-and-coming coach in a similar mould to Thorup, and with a big rebuild potentially on the cards this summer, especially if key players such as Borja Sainz and Josh Sargent leave the club, the Norfolk outfit could be set for another frustrating transition season next term, which would certainly invite more scrutiny on Knapper's decision-making.