At just 29 Jack Wilshere admits retiring is something he is "thinking about" as he remains without a club.
The former Arsenal star was once tipped for the top, but things have gone south since he left north London in 2018.
Wilshere moved to West Ham but was let go and then, after a brief spell at Bournemouth, was again shown the door.
The midfielder has been forced to bide his time but is now considering other avenues in an attempt to stay in the game, with coaching among them.
Wilshere has been plagued by injuries and is back training with Arsenal in order to keep himself fit, but isn't naive to the lack of opportunities coming his way.
He was quizzed on retirement by BBC Sport and replied: "I have to think about it.
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"That is why I am doing the coaching. I have been forced into doing it a little bit but I am grateful for the opportunity."
Despite considering his future the 29-year-old is adamant he still has something to offer on the pitch with a move away from Britain on his agenda.
"I 100 per cent think I can still play," he added. "I don't care what people say or write or what they say on social media.
"I am an honest guy. If I didn't think I could, I would be the first to say: 'Enough, I am going to do something else'.
"But I am almost at the point where I think something different, abroad, might be beneficial to me."
The midfielder did spend time at Serie B side Como in the summer but couldn't sign permanently due to EU restrictions.
Wilshere burst onto the scene as a teenager at the Emirates and produced a memorable performance as Arsenal beat Barcelona back in 2011.
A lack of consistent minutes eventually saw him let go by the Gunners, but he retained an international spot for a long period and was a favourite under Roy Hodgson.
The last of Wilshere's 34 caps was the ill-fated Euro 2016 defeat to Iceland.
He admitted earlier this season that he was waiting for the right club to come knocking, but remained patient.
He told TalkSport : “I’m waiting for the right opportunity to come up, to be honest, mate.
“But, having said that, nothing has come up at the minute and there’s nothing happening. I don’t know the answer to that question to be honest, mate."
During the last three seasons he played Wilshere was only able to make 30 league appearances.
