Jack Wilshere picks between Arsene Wenger and Mikel Arteta as most inspiring coach

Jack Wilshere has picked Mikel Arteta over Arsene Wenger as the manager who most inspired him to look towards a career in coaching.

The Englishman is set to be a free agent again when his contract at AGF Aarhus expires this summer. For now, he is back at Arsenal taking his coaching badges as he weighs up his options for finding another new club.

Wilshere's spell in Denmark was successful as he notched three assists in 15 games to help Aarhus to avoid relegation. Before travelling to Scandinavia, the midfielder spent several months training with Arsenal to maintain his fitness, as well as coaching in the club's academy.

And it was during that spell that the former England international was inspired to begin taking his coaching badges. He credits former team-mate and now Arsenal boss Arteta as the main influence behind that decision.

“I was coaching every day with the under-18s and under-23s. I loved every minute of it. When I was a player under Arsene Wenger I never really wanted to be a coach, and I never looked at him like that," Wilshere told the Daily Telegraph.

"I just listened to him and learned from him that way. But when I first started coaching the one I was watching was Mikel. He helped, along with the young players, to inspire me to want to be a coach.

“I was obviously a little bit worried, a little bit scared about the future. I didn’t know what it would look like for me. And then when I was coaching on a day-to-day basis, it changed for me. I really enjoyed it. I could see myself doing it. I saw a future for me in it.”

Wilshere has been so inspired by Arteta that he is now open to the idea of retiring to pursue a career as a coach. While he admitted that he understands he needs to start from the