Ex Charlton Athletic boss quits job to work with Arsenal legend at League One club in crisis

Former Charlton Athletic manager Chris Powell has left his post at League Two outfit Walsall after just 14 days to take up a new role with Luton Town in League One.

The 56-year-old, who won the Football League First Division with the Addicks as a player in 2000 and League One as manager in 2012, has been appointed as assistant manager to Arsenal hero Jack Wilshere at Kenilworth Road.

The Hatters sit 11th in third tier following back-to-back relegations from the Premier League to the Championship and then to League One. Luton Town sacked Matt Bloomfield after nine months in charge last week.

Ex Charlton Athletic boss quits Walsall for Luton Town

Powell, who worked under Gareth Southgate with England at Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup, will hold an important role at Luton Town with Wilshere taking his first senior managerial role.

The veteran had been working at Walsall as a coach on an interim basis, assisting manager Mat Sadler. Explaining his decision to leave the side so soon, he told talkSPORT: “We [Luton] are in League One and we have to navigate our way to where we want to get to.

"It's a quick turnaround for me because I'm sure people know I've been at Walsall, just helping out the coaching staff there. [They have a] brilliant young manager with good staff and a good team. I felt part of it, but it was only interim. But I didn't think it would turn around so quickly that I now find myself here at Luton Town helping Jack Wilshere and looking to do well at Kenilworth Road.”

Powell will work alongside Wilshere, whose only previous first team managerial experience came with an unbeaten two games as interim Norwich City boss in April. He has spent time earning coaching experience, working as under-18 head coach at Arsenal between 2022 and 2024.

Jack Wilshere to take inspiration from Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta

The 33-year-old is a product of the Gunners youth academy himself and spent a total of 17 years with the club, winning two FA Cups and making 197 appearances for Arsenal. Wilshere goes into the role at Luton Town with the advice of Powell, and that of Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.

The former midfielder has compared the situation that awaits for him at Kenilworth Road with that which Arteta walked into at the Emirates Stadium in 2019. He said: “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 were not sure what was happening.

“What he did was he built a complete unity, a complete trust in what he was doing and a very family [feel]. It feels like a family here as well. Getting people on board and to believe, and convincing them. Mikel was good at that and there’s definitely things I’ll take from him on this journey.”

In other news, Ex Charlton Athletic and QPR 'pantomime villain' joins non-league club at 29 year old.