Ex-Arsenal Ramsey and Wilshere to battle in League One

The Welshman was announced yesterday as the new permanent head coach of Oxford United following the sacking of Matt Bloomfield, while ex-Premier League midfielder Wilshere is currently in charge of Luton Town, also in League One.

The two have met in the dugout once before, on the last day of the 2024/25 Championship season, when Wilshere’s Norwich City beat Ramsey’s Cardiff City 4-2.

Both were in interim positions at the time, with Wilshere completing two competitive games in charge to Ramsey’s three.

Wilshere, who retired from football in 2022 at the age of 30, is now heading into his first full season with Luton.

After being hired to his permanent managerial job in October, he guided the club to seventh in League One, one point off the play-off spots.

Oxford United head coach Aaron Ramsey (Image: Oxford United)

He also won the Vertu Trophy after beating Stockport County 3-1 in the final.

Ramsey, who left boyhood club Cardiff in June 2025 after they finished bottom of the Championship, retired from professional football in April at the age of 35, and is now also in his first permanent role.

Asked at his inaugural U’s press conference if he had received any communication from Wilshere upon his appointment, Ramsey replied: “No, I’m still waiting for that message!

“No, Jack obviously is a great friend and teammate of mine back in the day, so it’ll be good and interesting to come up against him later on in the season.”

The two first played together as teenagers in September 2008, when they made their league debuts for Arsenal two minutes apart in a victory over Blackburn Rovers.

Oxford United CEO Tim Williams (left), head coach Aaron Ramsey (centre) and head of football operations Ed Waldron (right) (Image: Newsquest)

Their last game as teammates was defeat against Atletico Madrid in the 2017/18 Europa League semi-final.

READ MORE: Oxford United CEO on shock timing of Bloomfield sacking

READ MORE: Ex-Arsenal Aaron Ramsey’s first words as Oxford United manager

In the intervening decade, they made 101 appearances playing together, winning consecutive FA Cup finals in 2014 and 2015.

Both coaches had injury-hit playing careers, with Ramsey suffering a broken leg in 2010, as well as recurrent hamstring issues later on which saw him average just 11 full games per season in the seven seasons following departure from Arsenal in summer 2019.

Luton Town manager Jack Wilshere (Image: Ben Whitley/PA Wire)

Wilshere, meanwhile, suffered a series of ankle problems throughout his career, beginning with a stress fracture in a pre-season friendly in 2011, which eventually led to his early retirement.

The two men have shown early promise as coaches similar to their playing careers: Wilshere’s deliverance of silverware at Luton represents the club’s first trophy since winning League One in 2018/19.

Ramsey, meanwhile, has been tipped as a future Wales manager by current national head coach Craig Bellamy.