Jack Wilshere was met with ‘sacked in the morning chants’ during his managerial debut for Luton Town.
The Hatters were beaten 2-0 in their League One home clash against Mansfield Town, five days after Wilshere was appointed.
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Wilshere was beaten 2-0 on his debut in the Luton dugoutCredit: Getty
Rhys Oates put Mansfield ahead with five minutes left to play in the first half and the travelling support jokingly jeered the Luton boss.
They were widely reported to have chanted, ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning,’ towards the former Arsenal midfielder.
Mansfield then piled on the misery shortly before the hour mark as Tyler Roberts scored a penalty to double their lead.
Luton couldn’t respond before the full-time whistle and fell to their sixth league loss of the season, which puts them 14th in the table.
Despite kicking off his managerial spell at Kenilworth Road with a loss, Wilshere has described the reception he received prior to kick-off as one of his most cherished moments.
Where there’s a Wil
He told talkSPORT: “Yeah, that was amazing, really.
“I didn’t know what to expect and actually when I walked down the tunnel, all of a sudden I had some nerves.
“But yeah, a massive thank you to the fans, that was honestly really one of the best moments of my career.
“It probably doesn’t feel quite like that now because I’d like to have repaid the fans with three points.
“But stick with us, stick with us because I care, the players care and we will find that confidence again.”
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Mansfield fans aimed a chant towards Wilshere after scoring their first goalCredit: Getty
The ex-England international started his playing career in the Luton academy before moving to Arsenal in 2001.
Injury issues held him back from reaching his full potential, and he turned to coaching in 2022 after announcing his retirement.
Wilshere first worked for the Arsenal U18s and later joined Norwich City as a first-team coach.
Upon the sacking of Johannes Hoff Thorup, he was named as their interim manager and took charge of two unbeaten matches.
Despite discussions with Norwich, he did not take on the role on a full-time basis.
What next for Luton and Wilshere?
A trip to Northampton Town next weekend will be Wilshere’s second match as Luton boss.
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Wilshere has thanked the Luton fans for their welcoming receptionCredit: Getty
They then welcome Brighton U21s for a Vertu Trophy group match, before an FA Cup tie with National League side Forest Green Rovers.
Stockport County, Rotherham United, Barnsley and Bolton Wanderers are their league opponents throughout November.
Luton will then enter a busy festive period in the hopes of pushing towards the playoff spots.