By kickspoll 
Arsenal have announced that former Gillingham and Dover striker Adam Birchall is their new under-18 head coach. Birchall replaces Jack Wilshere, who is heading to Norwich City for a first-team coaching role.
Birchall, 39, started his career in Arsenal’s youth ranks and earned a professional contract at 17. Although he never made a first-team appearance, he had stints at Mansfield Town, Barnet, and Dover, where his prolific scoring led to a move to Gillingham in 2011. However, his time at Gillingham was cut short by injury, limiting him to just 17 appearances before he moved to Bromley in 2014.
After retiring from professional football, Birchall transitioned into coaching. He joined Arsenal as an under-18s assistant coach in 2016 and has since held various coaching roles within the club’s academy. Arsenal’s academy manager, Per Mertesacker, praised Birchall, saying, “Adam has a wealth of experience at Arsenal, having worked at every phase of our academy. He is a highly-skilled individual who will transition into his new role effortlessly.”
Birchall’s first game in charge as head coach for the Arsenal under-18s will be against Norwich City this Saturday.