JACK WILSHERE has been appointed Norwich’s interim manager following the club’s sacking of Johaness Thorup.
Dane Thorup oversaw an average season for the Canaries, who are currently 14th in the Championship table.
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And the Easter Monday defeat to Millwall has proven to be his final game in charge of the East Anglia club, who have chosen to wield the axe before the season comes to a close.
An excerpt of a club statement read: “Norwich City have parted company with head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup with immediate effect.
“Assistant head coach Glen Riddersholm has also left his position with the club.”
Canaries Sporting Director Ben Knapper said: “Whilst we made this appointment with a long-term focus and in line with our wider club strategy and direction, unfortunately, recent results and performances have deemed it necessary for us make a change.
“I’d like to place on record our sincere thanks to Johannes and Glen.
“They are both fantastic people who worked tirelessly to help improve and move our football club forward.
“We all wish the two of them the best in the next stage of their respective careers.”
Wilshere, who was already part of the Canaries set-up prior to Thorup’s sacking, will oversee the club’s final two games of the Championship season with the assistance of Tony Roberts and Nick Stanley.
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Norwich will travel to the Riverside Stadium on Saturday afternoon to take on Middlesbrough before taking on Cardiff City the following weekend.
Boro will be hoping to pip Coventry to the final play-off spot, while Cardiff will bid to beat the drop at Carrow Road.
Victory in their final match of the season could see Wilshere relegate his former long-time Arsenal team-mate Aaron Ramsey, who is in interim charge of Cardiff following the Welsh club’s axing of Omer Riza last weekend.
Wilshere and Ramsey spent 17 and 11 years at Arsenal, respectively.
But remarkably, they only shared the pitch 101 times during their stints with the north London club.
And Ramsey admits he wishes he played more games with his fellow former Gunner.
The Welshman told The Mirror: “Jack called it a day, which was very sad to see.
“[He was] obviously an unbelievable player on his day, very talented. It was a pleasure to play with him.
“I wish I had the opportunity to play with him a lot more, but he got injured [and then] I got injured [laughs at the irony] – so we didn’t get a lot of time playing together.”
Wilshere will face a massive dilemma ahead of Saturday’s trip to Middlesbrough.
He’s set to run the London Marathon on Sunday and will face a lengthy train journey back to the capital on Saturday to prepare himself for the race.
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