Jack Wilshere picks out four Arsenal academy prospects who ‘do things you can’t coach’

Jack Wilshere is in charge of the Under-18 side at Arsenal (Picture: Getty Images)

Jack Wilshere has named four of his Arsenal Under-18 stars that ‘do things you can’t coach’ as he predicts bright futures for the prospects.

The former Gunners and England midfielder is now in charge of the Under-18 side after retiring from playing last year.

There is no shortage of talent in the academy set-up at Arsenal, and speaking after a 3-2 win over Cambridge United in the FA Youth Cup, Wilshere picked out four of his players that have shown natural talents that cannot be coached.

‘There are some things that you see from Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri, Bradley Ibrahim, Jimi Gower — they do things you can’t coach. That’s why they’re at Arsenal,’ Wilshere told The Athletic.

‘They need a few things tactically. I like my midfielders to be on the half-turn, play forward and touch forward, dribble if you can.

‘We had some moments of brilliance when Myles drives, when Ethan’s on the half-turn, when Amario Cozier-Duberry’s one-v-one. If we can get more of those then we’ll be all right. You see it tonight, even though it was Reuell Walters at centre-back. When you drive forward it just changes the picture.’

Myles Lewis-Skelly is one of the standout talents in the Gunners’ youth ranks (Picture: Getty Images)

Nwaneri has already made an impression on senior manager Mikel Arteta and made history in September when he became the youngest player ever in the Premier League by making his debut for the Gunners in their victory over Brentford at just 15 years old.

On Nwaneri’s brief substitute appearance, Arteta said: ‘It was a pure gut feeling. I met the boy, I really liked what I saw.

‘Obviously Per [Mertesacker] and the academy staff gave me really good information about him as well.

‘I met him, he’s trained a couple of times with us as well. Yesterday he had to come because we had the injuries and then I had that feeling from yesterday that if the opportunity could come, that I was going to do it, and I just done it.’

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‘That’s why they’re at Arsenal.’