New Hatters assistant Powell relishes the opportunity to help Wilshere on his journey

New Town assistant Chris Powell is relishing the chance to help Jack Wilshere take the first steps of his journey into senior management after the former Arsenal midfielder was named Luton boss on Monday.

With 23 years between them, then at 56, Powell has seen it all in the game, playing for Southend United, Derby County and Charlton Athletic to name just three clubs in his lengthy career, going on to win five England caps too, while he also managed both Southend and Charlton, along with Huddersfield Town. He has been involved with the Three Lions backroom staff as well at the 2020 European Championships and 2022 World Cup Finals, with coaching roles at ADO Den Haag in the Netherlands, Tottenham Hotspur’s academy, Sheffield Wednesday and most recently Walsall.

With Wilshere at the opposite end of the spectrum, named as Matt Bloomfield’s replacement earlier in the week to begin his maiden voyage at being a number one, then after Powell had been introduced alongside him, on what his role will be, he said: “I think it’s a two-way relationship with regards to, I’ve been in the game a long time, many experiences as a manager, an assistant, but it’s great to be part of someone’s journey and someone embarking on the next chapter in their career.

“He’s got a lot of knowledge already and it’s now about imparting that on to a group, and being balanced in how we do things. Jack will have some real core ideas, some principles that won’t change, what he demands from the group on a regular basis. It’s about understanding them as people, as players, and getting to work as soon as we can as it’s all about match-day, but it’s how we get there

"We can't give them too much information to begin with, it’s about drip feeding what he wants to see day in day out. He’s spoken about behaviours, it’s important to any coach to have those behaviours in your team and then you develop as you go on. We don't have six weeks, we have a week, a game, another week, a game, so it’s important that we hit the ground running with respect to how we work and it’s exciting because something like this energises me, energises him.

“My relationship always with players is good because you have to create an environment that they want to come to, they want to work, they want to get better. We’ll do that with our staff, that’s something that’s very important to me. It’s great to be here, great to be part of it and it's important that we work well with the group, get to know the group as soon as we can.”

Although the senior member of the partnership, and having won the League One title when in charge of Charlton in 2012, Powell insisted it was very much Wilshere who is the main man, continuing: “There’ll be times where I might just have a quiet word with him with regards to how we approach things, but it’s his team, it’s his team, it’s his club. He wants to be on the grass, he wants to be amongst the players and that's very important so they know the message is coming from the manager, it’s not coming from me or the other guys.

"I might be the quiet one that speaks to the players away from the grass, but I’ll be out there coaching and supporting Jack. My role is not unique, but it’s been done here before by some brilliant characters by the way, with a wealth of knowledge and experience. I understand I’m the old one now and I understand what’s required for Jack and what’s required for the football club. I’m here at the Kenny, I know it’s the Kenny and not Kenilworth Road, I want to get my teeth into the job, get a team that the crowd, but more importantly the town are really into and we can connect.

"I think it’s important to get to know the crowd and we understand what they want. I've managed at League One, my first job and was successful, so hopefully I can replicate that. It’s a division that we’re in and I think we’ve got to understand, everyone, this is where we’re at at the moment. We have a challenge that lies ahead and we’re going to embrace that.”

It was also a quickfire move for Powell, who had only been appointed on an interim coaching role with League Two Walsall just two weeks ago, as on why he opted to move to the Hatters, he told BBC Three Counties Radio and TalkSport: “Its been a whirlwind 72 hours for me. When I first heard about Luton Town and the possibility of a new manager and then it was confirmed to me it was going to be Jack, then it was ‘yeah, it's something I can get my teeth into.’

"He’s a young coach, but he’s modern, progressive and he's understanding already in the discussions we've had. I'm like he gets it already. Everyone thinks you have an idea of how you want to play and you’re going to do it straight away, no you've got to be understanding of the position of where the team’s at, where the squad's at, what league you're in and what’s required. Then over time you drip feed your principles and your concepts of what you want to see every time the team plays, regardless of what they’re doing, so my role will be to help him, support him, facilitate what’s needed along with the other staff.

“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. 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.”