Jack Wilshere's marriage cost him one fan — the man who dated his wife first

Jack Wilshere has a devoted following among Arsenal supporters, but at least one fan has withdrawn his allegiance — not over a transfer or a trophy, but over a wedding. Starzi Kyriacou, a fish and chip shop owner who once counted Wilshere as a friend, says he cannot bring himself to support the club since Wilshere married his former girlfriend, Andriani Michael.

Kyriacou told The Sun that his friendship with Wilshere grew through visits to Andriani’s father’s barber shop. When Wilshere began dating Andriani after splitting from Lauren Neal — with whom he shares two children — in 2014, Kyriacou says it left him furious. “I was good friends with him. I’m mad at him, my ex and her family,” he said. “It won’t work out between those two.”

His grievance extended to the terraces. “It’s not nice supporting a team with someone who my ex is going out with in it,” Kyriacou added. “They’ve got no respect for me so I’ve got no respect for them.”

Wilshere proposed to Andriani in 2016 and married her the following year. The couple have since welcomed a daughter, born in 2018, and a son in 2020.

The personal drama arrives as Wilshere prepares to play in Soccer Aid at Wembley on Sunday, lining up alongside former England team-mates Wayne Rooney, Theo Walcott and Jermain Defoe in the annual charity match.

Off the pitch, Wilshere’s post-playing career has gathered momentum. Once regarded as one of the most gifted English midfielders of his generation, his time at Arsenal was defined as much by injury as by talent — he made just 197 appearances for the club across a decade before leaving in 2018. Spells at West Ham and Bournemouth followed, along with a brief stint at Danish club Aarhus GF before he retired in 2022.

He moved into coaching with Arsenal’s under-18 side and later joined Norwich City as a first-team coach. In October 2025, Wilshere was appointed head coach of League One side Luton Town, and he has already delivered silverware, guiding the club to the EFL Trophy with a 3-1 victory over Stockport County in the final.