Per Mertesacker will hang up his playing boots in 12 months time, and has been handed the role of Academy Manager at Arsenal from next season.
The German international has been the club’s captain for the past year, and is known for his influence on and off the pitch. A role in the Gunners backroom has been on the cards for some time, and will now become a reality come the end of the new season.
The defender will have to show more patience than he did whilst being shown up by a childish prank last term however, with Mertesacker looking more than angry after a young fan decided to make him look silly for some YouTube fame…
Mertesacker is certainly not a person you would want to cross, and he will likely instill a high level of discipline in our youngsters who are looking to break into the senior team in years to come.
The former German international will be able to pass on his wealth of experience, having lifted the World Cup among a number of other accolades, and will be a huge influence for our young stars.
His performance in last season’s FA Cup final will be fresh in our minds, as he made his one and only start of the entire campaign thanks to a long-term injury, and returned to make Chelsea look silly.
The Blues were everyone’s favourites to win the Wembley encounter, and thanks to the German, we came away with a comfortable win.
Will Mertesacker excel in his new role? Will the 32 year-old play an important role this term?
Pat J