Wilshere retires from football as ex-Arsenal admits it is 'difficult to accept'

The 30-year-old was once considered England's brightest star after bursting onto the scene for the Gunners in 2008.

He remains Arsenal's youngest-ever league debutant, aged 16 and 256 days, but his career was sadly hampered by a series of serious injuries.

Nevertheless, Wilshere won two successive FA Cups with the Gunners and earned 34 caps for the Three Lions, competing at the 2014 World Cup along the way.

After leaving the Emirates in 2015, he spent the latter years of his career at Bournemouth, West Ham and Danish Superliga club AGF.

"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," Wilshere said in his retirement announcement on Twitter.

"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."

Arsenal have allowed Wilshere to train with the first-team in recent months and it is understood the club will offer him a coaching role in their Under-18s set-up.

The ex-Gunners star is also a regular contributer on talkSPORT's Drive show and you can expect to hear plenty more from him in the coming weeks.