Jack Wilshere admits he still remembers the night Gideon Kodua “broke his heart,” but the Luton Town boss is thrilled to now have the West Ham United youngster in his team.
The 21-year-old winger left a lasting impression on Wilshere back in 2023, when his West Ham U18s side stunned Wilshere’s Arsenal U18s 5-1 in the FA Youth Cup Final at the Emirates Stadium. More than 34,000 fans watched as Kodua captained the Hammers, scoring a stunning third goal from 35 yards after spotting the goalkeeper off his line.
That strike sealed a memorable night for West Ham, which was their first Youth Cup triumph since 1999, while Wilshere’s young Gunners fell short of emulating his own 2009 success as a player.
Fast forward to today, and fate has brought both men together again. Kodua, who joined Luton on loan after spells under Matt Bloomfield at Wycombe Wanderers, has featured 12 times this season and started under Wilshere in last weekend’s clash against Mansfield Town.
Although the Hatters fell 2-0, Kodua looked lively, nearly opening the scoring after meeting Christ Makosso’s cross.
Speaking with a smile during his pre-match press conference, Wilshere joked about their first encounter since that unforgettable night.
“I don’t want to talk about him! He was excellent in that game and the first time I saw him, I said hello to him, he was all shy and I said, ‘don’t forget what you did to me.’
“He started laughing, but in that game, actually last season as well, when someone breaks your heart like that you follow their journey. I thought he had an interesting season last year and it’s definitely a season for him to kick on. He has the ability to, we need to get him positions more where he can show his ability, but he’s very exciting.”
Now leading from the dugout, Wilshere seems eager to turn past pain into present progress. And with Kodua’s pace and creativity, Luton Town could have a rising star ready to shine in the Championship season ahead.
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