Top facts about Per Mertesacker, the Arsenal Academy Manager

Mertesacker has a unique style of play and the quality of his game is very high. The former footballer started his career at Hannover 96 with youth ranks. He made his way to the first team and over the years the German footballer established a name for himself. The footballer had a great career in big clubs. Find out Per Mertesacker transfer market stats in this article.

Aside from the player’s career in football you might be interested in

Per Mertesacker personal life

as well. As they say behind every successful man there is a woman. The same goes for the German footballer. Per Mertesacker wife is the stunning German international handballer, Ulrike Stange. The stunning beauty gave birth to Per Mertesacker children. Find out the notable events of the former footballer’s life story in this article. First, we will start with Per Mertesacker childhood.

Top Facts About Per Mertesacker You Probably Didn’t Know

Back in 2018, the footballer revealed that he was suffering from anxiety attacks throughout his career due to the pressure he was dealing with however, he didn’t stop playing football because he loved the sport so much. This drew criticism from some players. On the other hand, so many people praised him for his courage to reveal such a sensitive matter. Stay tuned for the top facts about Per Mertesacker.

Per Mertesacker Childhood and Early Career

Now let’s get into the details of

Per Mertesacker childhood

story. He was born on 29 September 1984 in Hanover which is located West of Germany. Per was raised by Barbel Mertesacker who used to work as a school secretary and Stefan Mertesacker who was an armature football coach. He was the second son of three sons. As a kid, little Per was interested in two things one of them was riding a bicycle and the other one was playing football. He dreamed of one day becoming a professional footballer. Per Mertesacker parents supported their son to fulfill his dream.

The little footballer began pursuing his love for football by playing alongside his brothers at the local amateur club TSV Pattensen. His dad was a part-time coach at the same club. Until Per Mertesacker age was 15, he played in the youth system of Hannover 96 and played under the supervision of his father. At the same time, he pursued his education and completed his 'Abitur' at Carl-Friedrich-Gauß-Schule, a comprehensive school located in nearby Hemmingen noted for its sports program. Find out more top facts about Per Mertesacker in the following.

The Youngest German Player in Bundesliga

The German footballer worked hard for his dream to become a professional footballer. Per Mertesacker parents encouraged him to go further and mark the acme of his career in football. The footballer’s efforts paid off as he was promoted to the first team for the 2003–04 season at Hannover 96.

Per Mertesacker age

was 19 when debuted for the side in a game over Cologne in the position of a right-back. Mertesacker was the youngest German player in Bundesliga. However, he experienced some setbacks. During a game he was replaced by veteran Steve Cherundolo and he was sent back to the amateur team.

Later Mertesacker managed to prove himself worthy and he came back to the first team. He made a good performance during a successful battle against relegation. He started the next season by scoring his first goal as a professional which was a last-minute equalizer over

in August 2004. His strong appearance along with disciplinary record drew the attention of new national team coach Jürgen Klinsmann who later handed him his senior international debut in October 2004. Stay tuned for more top facts about Per Mertesacker.

Why Mertesacker Was Nicknamed “Mr. Clean”?

Mertesacker gave his all while he was at Hannover 96. German tabloids called him “The Defense Pole” and due to his good disciplinary record he earned a name for himself. He didn’t receive any yellow cards during 31 Bundesliga games and he was nicknamed “Mr. Clean”. In his entire career at Hannover he was booked only twice. On 13 May 2006, he played his last game for the club and scored the opening goal in a 2-2 draw over Bayer Leverkusen. Based on

Per Mertesacker stats

he made 82 appearances and scored 8 goals at Hannover 96.

Mertesacker Contributions to Help Robert Enke Widow

During the time Mertesacker played for Hannover he became friends with the deceased Robert Enke. He was a German goalkeeper who played the majority of his career at Hannover. The goalkeeper committed suicide at the age of 32 in the most painful way. He threw himself in front of an express train at a level crossing in Eilvese, Neustadt am Rübenberge. Enke’s widow Teresa revealed that her husband was dealing with depression for six years following the death of their daughter Lara, back in 2006. Mertesacker along with Michael Ballack presented the laurel during Enke's memorial service.

Later the good-hearted footballer started a temporary account through his foundation to collect donations for Enke's widow. In October 2018, the footballer came back to Hanover for his charity-cum- testimonial match, which featured his former teammates from Hannover 96 facing off over a "World XI" team composed of his former teammates from

, Werder Bremen and the

. Instead of holding the testimonial game at London where he lived and retired he preferred to do it at Hanover where his career started. Find out facts about Per Mertesacker transfer market stats in the following.

Mertesacker Joined Werder Bremen

Following his great performance in the 2006 World Cup he moved to Werder Bremen in August 2006 in a €5 million transfer deal. Over the years

Per Mertesacker salary

grew with his career. At the time, Mertesacker along with Diego who just moved to the club from Porto were both Bremen's most expensive signings in the club’s history. Mertesacker suffered from an injury he sustained during World Cup and he missed the first month of the season however later he picked up the pace and got back on his feet.

In November, he scored a goal during his Champions League debut in a 1-0 victory against

to end the Premier League winners' unbeaten streak in the season’s competition. The first game in the second half of the season was against

. After he had scored a goal the footballer refused to celebrate the goal against his boyhood club. Based on Per Mertesacker stats he scored 4 goals in 35 games during his first season with Werder Bremen. Stay tuned for more top facts about Per Mertesacker.

Mertesacker and his wonders at Werder Bremen

In the 2007-08 season Mertesacker received the first red card of his career in a 6-3 defeat against VfB Stuttgart Bremen finished runners-up in the league despite winnings only two games less than champions Bayern Munich however the team managed to secure its position in the following season. At the end of the season Mertesacker extended his contract for two years.

Per Mertesacker parents

were so proud of their son for coming this far.

The footballer managed to score the opening goal in the

semi-final away at northern rivals Hamburger SV however they got equalized and got to the penalties. At the end of the game Bremen won 4-2. Mertesacker sustained an injury and he couldn’t play in the UEFA Cup semifinal second leg over

rivals Hamburg. The footballer had torn ligaments in his right ankle and needed surgery. Mertesacker couldn’t play for the rest of the season.

He started the 2009-10 season great with a 5-0 victory against FC Union Berlin in the 2009–10 DFB-Pokal. His first goal of the season came in a 2-0 win over 899 Hoffenheim. Mertesacker averaged 46.3 passes per game, the third-highest in the Bremen squad, and the second highest pass success rate, with 82%, showcasing another feature of his game. Based on Per Mertesacker stats overall he made 215 appearances along with 16 goals for the club. Find out more

top facts about Per Mertesacker

in the following.

Mertesacker Made a Great Reputation

The German footballer is 1.98 m tall. The critics predicted with such height he would be clumsy or having a tendency to frequently concede fouls. However, it all turned wrong as over the course of his final two seasons at

Mertesacker received just one yellow card in 63 league games and gained quite a reputation as an astute reader of the game. Stay tuned for more top facts about Per Mertesacker.

Per Mertesacker Joined the Gunners

According to

Per Mertesacker transfer market stats

on 31 August 2011, he signed a contract with Arsenal for four years. He wore the number 4 jersey which previously belong to former team captain Cesc Fabregas. In his first month at Arsenal Mertesacker tried hard to work on his defensive skills and he battled on with various defensive partners as injury problems mounted. He stated: “I want to do a good job, especially in the defense. That is my role. If the coach praises me then that is a great thing but I have to go on and keep on working.”

Mertesacker Man of the Match Performance at Arsenal

During Mertesacker career at Arsenal he made lot of wonders. He managed to develop a partnership with his fellow teammate

and they made a great defensive line together. At the beginning of the 2013–14 season as 

and Mikel Arteta got injured he was named the temporary captain. Mertesacker earned a man of the match award following his great performance in a 1-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

The footballer’s good influence was noticed as a significant factor in Arsenal's remarkable start to the 2013–14 season, which saw the team leading the Premier League at the end of November. He continued with his great performance and was nominated as a part of the Premier League Team of the Year, along with teammate Aaron Ramsey. On 13 January 2014, the German defender made his 100th official appearance for Arsenal in a 1–2 away victory against Aston Villa. Learn more

top facts about Per Mertesacker

in the following.

Per Mertesacker International Career

In September 2004, the gifted footballer was included in Germany national team squad. He debuted on international level back in October 2004 game over

. Mertesacker showed remarkable skills on the pitch and he was Germany’s first choice centre back. One of the good features of Mertesacker is his ability to make a good relationship with other players which results in team work and a good outcome for the team.

In the national team he paired up with Robert Huth, Christoph Metzelder, Heiko Westermann and later Arne Friedrich and the players showed a remarkable team work on international level. During the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup the footballer played the whole 90 minutes in all the five matches and scored his first international goal in a group stage game over Australia as Germany finished in third place. Find out more

top facts about Per Mertesacker

in the following.

Mertesacker Managerial Career

Before the 2017-18 season Mertesacker was appointed as the new Arsenal Academy manager. The academy teams play in the Professional Development League, the highest level of youth football in England. He started a coaching programme as part of the club's partnership with Save the Children in the Zaatari refugee camp to build football fields and training pitches for coaches specifically in the area of detecting PTSD symptoms. After Unai Emery was left out of his position in late November 2019, Mertesacker filled his shoes and took the responsibility as interim assistant manager to support interim head coach Freddie Ljungberg for the meantime.

The former footballer also works as a pundit for DAZN Germany covering the Champions League. In an interview the new appointed manager stated: “In my new role as Arsenal academy manager I will do everything I can to challenge the young players’ mindsets. I want to challenge them so that they are ready to take on new ideas and protect them from being injured, when it comes to their body and soul.”

He added: “I want to convince them they have to do something to get to the top of the world and I want to be an example for them. For me there wasn’t really a way up but somehow I made it there anyway, because I did everything I possibly could to give me the best chances to succeed.” Find out facts about

Per Mertesacker personal life

in the following.

Per Mertesacker Children and Wife

The footballer met the stunning German international handballer Ulrike Stange in 2008. Per Mertesacker wife was also recovering from injury at a rehab clinic in Donaustauf. Soon after, they began dating. The couple tied the knot in June 2013 and got married in a lovely ceremony attended by their family and friends. Ulrike also gave birth to

Per Mertesacker children

. The couple have two sons who were born on April 2011 and May 2014. Looks like their parents prefer not to share information about them.

Per Mertesacker wife

supported her husband in all the ups and downs together they started a great family. Mertesacker stated about being a father: “Having your own kids — that was a huge step for me. It changes your life a lot. I want to be a good father and try to implement a lot of what I have learned; what I’m good at; where I’ve got my strengths, to bring them up as good as I can. To bring them up with two languages – hopefully, it will be very helpful for them.” Find out facts about Per Mertesacker salary and income in the following.

Per Mertesacker Net Worth and Salary

Now let’s get into the details of Per Mertesacker net worth and income. Over the years the former footballer came a long way. As we mentioned before the footballer once was Werder Bremen's most expensive signings in the club’s history. Per Mertesacker salary is estimated to be more than €26k annually. Aside from his game quality which is great the good hearted footballer also showed to everyone how much his intensions are pure. That got him to be the new appointed manager of Arsenal academy. As for

Per Mertesacker net worth

it is estimated to be more than €6 million.

Per Mertesacker Social Media Accounts

Now let’s get into the details of

Per Mertesacker social media accounts

. The footballer is popular on Instagram and he is widely followed. More than 300k fans follow him and keep up with his posts. Mertesacker is a caring person and so far he has contributed a lot for several issues in society. On June 2020, along with other footballers he talked to Prince William, Duke of Cambridge about mental health and uploaded the video on his page. He captioned: “A privilege for us to speak to Prince Willian about the importance of talking about your feelings and mental health.”

He added: “Football can play a part in supporting the nation’s mental health.” The former footballer is available by the username of

on Instagram. As for other Per Mertesacker social media accounts, he is signed up by the username of

on Twitter with nearly 2 million fans keeping up with his tweets. The former defender managed to amass more than 3 million followers on Facebook, you can find him by the username of

.

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