Ex-Arsenal star Jack Wilshere keeps bed in his Luton office and relies on power naps to cope with 24/7 management graft

JACK WILSHERE has a BED in his office — because life in the dugout never stops. Having played at the highest level for Arsenal and England, the ex-midfielder thought he knew true fatigue. Jack Wilshere has found management a huge eye opener since taking charge of Luton Credit: Every Second Media Jack Wilshere learned a lot from Arsene Wenger during his playing career at Arsenal Credit: Arsenal FC via Getty Images Taking charge at Kenilworth Road last October, Wilshere quickly realised playing is instinct, coaching is 24-hour graft. The 34-year-old Hatters chief relies on 20-minute post-lunch power naps in his office to reset his brain. Sign up for the Arsenal newsletter Thank you! And that relentless work ethic paid immediate dividends in Luton’s opening match of the season against Reading. Trailing 3-1 at half-time, Wilshere delivered a rousing team talk that saw his side mount a brilliant second-half comeback to win 4-3. Wilshere said: “It’s important to get a siesta when you can because coaching consumes your whole day. “As a player, you train and go home. As a coach, you’re literally 24/7 on your laptop looking at clips, medical science, scouting and tactics. It never stops.” That dedication brought Vertu Trophy glory in April — a special moment for a manager who first walked through the door as an eight-year-old academy kid. Despite that Wembley triumph, missing out on the League One play-offs by a single point cut deep. Most read in Sport SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET UP TO £100 BONUS Wilshere is desperate to fire his boyhood club back towards the Premier League. But whether he is in a training tracksuit on the grass or a sharp suit on matchday, image matters. Wilshere said: “There needs to be a balance. A manager should look important and command respect for the club, but you don’t want to be stuffy at the same time. “You must be comfortable in your tracksuit gear when you’re out on the grass — and then differentiate yourself from the coaching staff on matchdays by being smart, casual. “I wore a suit at Wembley because that’s a respect thing for me. “You see guys like Gareth Ainsworth at Gillingham on the touchline looking like the front man in a rock band wearing jeans and a leather jacket! “I don’t mind that because everyone’s got their own brand, but in this job, you simply can’t fake it.” For Wilshere, there are no touchline ego trips, he is still “Jack from down the road” returning to his roots. The Hatters boss said: “This club means a lot to me. The people here are honest, hard-working, and see right through anyone trying to play a character. Jack Wilshere has had to adapt to working with the TikTok generation Credit: Getty Our man Justin Allen caught up with Jack Wilshere at Luton’s training ground Credit: Every Second Media “You can’t come in here with an ego. You have to be yourself.” That same drive for realness is why Wilshere cuts straight through the noise with today’s teenage prospects. The former Gunners hero once dominated against a Barcelona midfield aged 19. But he compares managing modern starlets to raising his own 14-year-old son in an instant-gratification world. Wilshere said: “The language and culture are completely different now. Lads at 14 or 15 are dealing with TikTok, social media and massive hype. “They want things really quickly. They want it now. “When I was younger, you’d go and ask your mum and it would be, ‘Yeah, we’ll go to the shops at the weekend’ — or ‘No, you’re not getting it.’ “Whereas now, it’s ‘We can get it on Amazon’ and it arrives the same day. And that is kind of the mentality of footballers today. Jack Wilshere has already won a trophy at Luton — lifting the Vertu Trophy last season Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Jack Wilshere shares a joke with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at Arsenal Credit: Arsenal FC via Getty Images “So a big part of my job is convincing players to believe in and commit to the process — and enjoy it.” For Wilshere, real development takes time and making mistakes is vital. He said: “If a player wants to improve their weak foot, they’re not going to go out tomorrow and practice it and be better at it. “It’s going to take time. And experiencing things — sometimes that’s failure for a player — is better than me explaining it to them because they feel it, then they live it. “A big thing is convincing the players to experience it, and that it’s okay to fail.” The Hatters boss insists old-school hairdryer tactics instantly alienate footballers. It is a far cry from only 15 years ago when Wilshere was a young player. He said: “They see through it instantly. If you aren’t authentic, you lose the dressing room before you’ve even started. You simply can’t talk to them with bullst.” Jack Wilshere has already become a popular figure at Kenilworth Road Credit: Shutterstock Editorial To forge his style, Wilshere draws on two contrasting Arsenal legends who shaped his career. He learned tactical obsession and relentlessness from Mikel Arteta while coaching at London Colney — and Arsene Wenger taught him the power of trust and human psychology as a player. Wilshere said: “Learning from Mikel, seeing how detailed he is, it sets the standard. “Every single second on the pitch matters. Being an Arsenal boy, you feel that identity deep inside. “Arsene was incredible at making you feel invincible. He gave you total freedom and trust on the pitch, and that stays with you forever as a player and now as a coach.” Wilshere is relishing locking horns this season with former Gunners team-mate Aaron Ramsey, who took charge at League One rivals Oxford. The pair face off at Kenilworth Road in November before the February return at the MGroup Stadium. He said: “We’ve had some banter about it already. “It will be strange seeing each other in opposition dugouts after everything we shared together at Arsenal, but we’re both loving this next chapter.” Wilshere keeps a close eye on the rising wave of young English managers fighting across the divisions. And he said: “Look at guys like Michael Carrick, Frank Lampard, Gary O’Neil and Tom Cleverley. “They’re forging a real path for young coaches. But you must produce straight away now. If you don’t get results, you’re out.” Even as football falls in love with data analytics and algorithms, Wilshere stays grounded in basic human values. He said: “Technology and data are evolving and AI is everywhere now. “But AI can’t replace looking a player in the eye. It can’t replace heart.” JACK WILSHERE'S DAILY ROUTINE JACK WILSHERE talks SunSport readers through a day in his life at manager of Luton Town — from his early alarm call to chilling at home in front of the TV at night. 5am EARLY ALARM My alarm goes off. I’ve got a six-year-old boy in a bad habit of climbing into our bed. So I’m normally stuck under him somewhere! The habit of getting up so early is one I’ve dragged myself into. As a coach, if you don’t get ahead of your day before everyone else wakes up, you’re instantly playing catch-up. I get straight up and brush my teeth. I don’t shower because I’ve had one the night before. 5:10am DOG WALKING I’ve got two German Shepherds that need a bit of care so take them out, give them a drink and stuff before making myself a coffee for drive in 5:45pm DRIVING INTO TRAINING I get into the car and get talkSPORT on. I listen to the national football debate. I want to get myself into the mood and like to know what’s going on. 6:15am ARRIVE AT TRAINING GROUND I get into work and open up my computer. I’ve got a notebook sort of thing where I will write down what I need to do during the day. — and what I want other people in my staff to do too. 7:30am FIRST MEETING I’ll have my first meeting with the analysts, who arrive, and we’ll spend 45 minutes planning what we’re going to show the players on the screens in the morning. 8:30am STAFF MEETING All the medical, performance and coaching staff arrive and we meet up to discuss everything we need for the day. We’ll plan training and what the players are doing as well as map out our day. 9am BREAKFAST The chefs here are exceptional here. It varies day to day but they have a live food station and will rustle you up an ommlette or a protein bagel. 10am TEAM MEETING & PREP We’ll get the players together and talk through everything for about 20 minutes before they go off and start prepping. 11am TRAINING We’ll be doing that for an hour or an hour and half. Out on the grass, I’m hands-on, high-energy, setting standards, and pushing our tactical identity. 1pm LUNCH & POWER NAP After training, I’ll grab lunch and then a quick twenty-minute power nap. Coaching consumes your whole day. After debriefing and lunch, my brain is fried. A quick 20-minute shut-eye in the office completely resets my energy for an intense afternoon. 2pm CLIP ANALYSIS & SCOUTING Afternoons are for deep analysis: breaking down team sessions, prepping opposition video, checking youth prospects, or reviewing potential transfer targets. It’s relentless. 6:30pm DRIVE HOME All depends on the day but I drive home anytime between 5pm-7pm. 7PM — FAMILY TIME You’ve got to find ways to turn off. Evenings are for family. We’ll eat, hang out, and binge a TV series like Suits—the best way to get your mind completely off football. 10:30pm LIGHTS OUT I’m usually off to sleep around 10:30. I even track my sleep recovery stats now! I make sure I get enough rest before doing the whole crazy routine again the next day. Comment now