To work with an Arsenal icon at a League One club in turmoil, the former Charlton Athletic manager resigns from his position.
The 56-year-old has been named Arsenal hero Jack Wilshere’s assistant manager at Kenilworth Road. He won the Football League First Division with the Addicks as a player in 2000 and League One as manager in 2012. Following consecutive relegations from the Premier League to the Championship and subsequently to League One, the Hatters are currently ranked eleventh in the third division. After nine months in command, Matt Bloomfield was fired by Luton Town last week. With Wilshere taking on his first senior managerial position, Powell, who captained England at the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2020 under Gareth Southgate, will play a significant role at Luton Town.
The veteran had been temporarily serving as a coach at Walsall, supporting boss Mat Sadler. He told talkSPORT, “We [Luton] are in League One and we have to navigate our way to where we want to get to,” in an attempt to explain his choice to quit the team so quickly. I’m sure people are aware that I’ve been in Walsall, assisting the coaching team there, so it’s a rapid turnaround for me. They have a fantastic team, good employees, and a smart young boss. It was only temporary, yet I felt a part of it. However, I didn’t anticipate that things would change so fast, and now I’m at Luton Town, assisting Jack Wilshere and hoping to succeed at Kenilworth Road.
Powell will work with Wilshere, who managed Norwich City’s first team for just two games in April while serving as an interim manager. He worked as Arsenal’s under-18 head coach from 2022 to 2024 in order to gain coaching expertise. The 33-year-old, who himself graduated from the Gunners youth academy, played for the team for 17 years, making 197 appearances and winning two FA Cups. Wilshere steps into the post at Luton Town with the advise of Powell, and that of Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.
The former midfielder has drawn a comparison between the circumstances that Arteta walked into at the Emirates Stadium in 2019 and the one that awaits him at Kenilworth Road. He stated: “I spoke to Mikel about a year ago and said, ‘Mikel, when did you know you were ready?'” He laughed and said, “You just have to jump in and swim as hard as you can’.” “He’s obviously done that really well and I was close to that [working at Arsenal].” “This feels a little bit similar to that, of course it’s a different level, but when Mikel went in, it wasn’t a nice place at Arsenal. The fans weren’t sure what was going on.”
He succeeded in creating a strong sense of unity, total faith in his abilities, and a sense of family. Here, too, it feels like family. gaining people’s support, faith, and endorsement. Mikel was proficient in that area, and I will undoubtedly learn from him during this journey. A former Charlton Athletic and QPR “pantomime villain” has joined a non-league club at the age of 29.
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