LEGENDARY Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has paid tribute to Jack Wilshere following his retirement.
Wilshere, 30, announced he was calling it a day from professional football on Friday.
The former Gunners midfielder burst onto the scene as a technically gifted youngster in 2008, receiving rave reviews during the opening years of his career.
However, injuries began to take their toll and Wilshere soon lost the sharpness and fitness which had made him one of the most exciting youngsters in world football.
Wenger, who left his post as Arsenal manager in 2018 and had given Wilshere his debut 10 years prior, paid tribute to his former midfield ace.
He told Sky Sports: "'Well for me it's a sad moment because Jack is an exceptional football player.
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"He was brave, he was talented, he wasn't scared of anybody. Which is why we thought he could start at a very young age. Straight away he showed he had the ability to be a main player."
The pair won two FA Cups and the Community Shield during their time together at Arsenal.
Wenger expressed regret over his decision to play Wilshere as often as he had, as Wilshere never truly recovered from a major ankle injury he sustained in the 2011/12 season.
From thereafter Wilshere continued to be sidelined by persistent injury issues which forced him to miss large stretches of a number of seasons afterwards.
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He would eventually leave The Emirates in 2018 for West Ham, where he made just 18 appearances in two years.
He was then snapped up by Bournemouth as a free agent before ending his career with Danish side Aarhus GF.
However, Wilshere looks set to pursue a career as a coach, as reports indicate he is among the candidates who could take up a position as Arsenal's Under-18 head coach.
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