Jack Wilshere, a former midfield star for both England and Arsenal, has announced his retirement from the game at the age of 30.

On Friday, Wilshere announced the news on his verified Twitter account.
When the midfielder made his club debut in 2008 at the age of 16, he broke into the spotlight as the club’s youngest player in history.

Wilshere immediately made himself a vital part of an Arsene Wenger team that was made up of a number of talented, youthful midfield specialists.

Wilshere’s best years of his career were tragically cut short by a succession of injuries, and he struggled to reach his full potential until departing his childhood club shortly after Arsene Wenger’s departure in 2018.

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He had stints with West Ham and Bournemouth after that, but he was never able to reach the same levels of success.

Wilshere sought to restart his career in Denmark with AGF and made 14 appearances after recovering health while training with Arsenal last year.

But when that run came to an end, Wilshere announced in a long, tearful statement on Friday that he was giving up.

“Today I am announcing my retirement from playing professional football,” he wrote.

“It has been an unbelievable journey filled with so many incredible moments and I feel privileged to have experienced all that I did during my career.

“From being the little boy kicking a ball around in the garden to captaining my beloved Arsenal and playing for my country at a World Cup. I have lived my dream.

“In truth, it has been difficult to accept that my career has been slipping away in recent times due to reasons outside of my control whilst feeling that I have still had so much to give.

“Having played at the very highest level I have always held such huge ambitions within the game and if I am truthful I did not envisage being in this position at times.

“However, having had time to reflect and talk with those closest with me I know that now is the right time and despite the difficult moments I look back on my career with great pride at what I have achieved.”

Wilshere won the Community Shield in 2014 and two FA Cups in 2014 and 2015 while he was a member of Arsenal.

In addition to being named to the PFA Premier League Team of the Year for the 2010–11 season, he was named PFA Young Player of the Year in 2011.

In the 2010–11 season, he was again voted Arsenal Player of the Season.