Boys to men: Ramsey and Wilshere's coaching reunion

Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere made their Premier League debuts two minutes apart in 2008; a 17 and 16-year-old coming on as substitutes for Arsenal in a 4-0 win at Blackburn Rovers.

On Saturday, the two men will be reunited in opposing dugouts as fledgling coaches.

Wales captain Ramsey will be taking charge of Cardiff City for the third – and, for now, seemingly final – time when the already-relegated Bluebirds visit Norwich City in the Championship.

The 34-year-old is still registered as a Bluebirds player but was handed the reins on a temporary basis after Omer Riza was sacked last month.

As for Wilshere, 33, the former England midfielder has already retired and has stepped in as Norwich's interim boss following the dismissal of Johannes Hoff Thorup after the Canaries missed out on the play-offs.

Although Ramsey harbours long-term coaching ambitions, he wants to continue playing next season, though his Cardiff contract expires this summer.

Before he decides on his next steps, the former Juventus midfielder is looking forward to being reunited with Wilshere, his former central midfield partner at Arsenal.

"I've been watching Jack's career in the managerial role develop over the years, starting with the [Arsenal] Under-18s and going there [Norwich] as a coach, and now having that opportunity [to manage]," said Ramsey.

"So it will be a bit mad but I'm looking forward to seeing him again."

Both players spent the majority of their playing careers at Arsenal, with Ramsey joining from Cardiff in 2008 and Wilshere graduating from the club's academy.

Wilshere's manager throughout his time with the Gunners was the great Arsene Wenger, while Ramsey only had one year without the Frenchman, who left in 2018 after more than two decades at the helm.

As well as winning three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups, Wenger earned legendary status for his aesthetically pleasing style of play, as well as his visionary coaching methods which were regarded as revolutionary for British football.

Wenger was also revered for his ability to develop young players, with Ramsey and Wilshere among the most successful examples of his tutelage.

"I think what Arsene instilled in us is having that freedom to go and express ourselves, having that sense of confidence from him to go out there and to do that," said Ramsey.

"That's something that I'll take throughout my managerial career, is giving the players the confidence to go out there and express themselves.

"It's why we all fell in love with football, why we all started playing football, is to go out there and enjoy it and to score goals, attack. For me, that will be something that I take forward."