Luton boss Jack Wilshere 'has so much respect' for 'amazing' Kevin Nolan
Luton Town manager Jack Wilshere says he ‘has so much respect’ for Kevin Nolan after working under the Northampton boss at West Ham United.
Wilshere had a difficult two-year spell at West Ham between 2018 and 2020 but things improved when David Moyes took over and brought Nolan with him as part of his backroom staff in December 2019.
Wilshere left the following autumn before retiring two years later, and after working as a coach at Arsenal and then Norwich, he’s now been given his first full-time managerial gig with the Hatters, and tomorrow’s fixture at Sixfields will be his first away game in charge.
"I have so much respect for Kev,” said Wilshere. “Everyone knows that my time at West Ham wasn’t what I wanted. I grew up a West Ham fan but it didn’t work out with injuries and I had a bit of a falling out with the manager.
"But then Moyesy came in with Kev and Kev just put his arm around me. The relationship was almost forced upon us because I wasn’t in the team and he was the coaching who was coaching me but he was amazing. He had so much empathy and he understood where I was coming from.
"I wanted to play but he was fantastic and he did so much for me. He was a proper player as well and we used to have plenty of banter. I know he said he didn’t think I would go into coaching and to be honest when I was at West Ham I never thought about that. It didn’t cross my mind until I left.
"But Kev is a top coach and he’s done a great job at Northampton. I wish him all the best – just not tomorrow!”
On facing Northampton’s 3-4-3 system, Wilshere added: “We will adapt to opposition but it has to be about us and what we do and how we play because that’s what you can control. There’s more to it than formations and structures but obviously it’s important to prepare for them and adapt accordingly.
"We want to be a team that dominates the ball and we want control but it has to be with purpose and it can’t be passing for passing’s sake.”