Per Mertesacker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Per Mertesacker

Mertesacker with Arsenal in 2018
Personal information
Date of birth	(1984-09-29) 29 September 1984 (age 40)
Place of birth	Hanover, West Germany
Height	1.98 m
Playing position	Centre back
Club information
Current club	Arsenal Academy (manager)
Youth career
1988–1995	TSV Pattensen
1995–2003	Hannover 96
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2003–2004	Hannover 96 II	16	(1)
2003–2006	Hannover 96	74	(7)
2006–2011	Werder Bremen	147	(12)
2011–2018	Arsenal	156	(6)
Total		393	(26)
National team
2003	Germany U20	2	(0)
2004	Germany U21	3	(0)
2004–2014	Germany	104	(4)
Teams managed
2018–	Arsenal Academy
2019	Arsenal (interim assistant)
Honours Men's Football Representing  Germany FIFA World Cup Winner 2014 Brazil Third 2006 Germany Third 2010 South Africa UEFA European Championship Runner-up 2008 Austria–Switzerland Bronze 2012 Poland–Ukraine FIFA Confederations Cup Third 2005 Germany
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Per Mertesacker (born 29 September 1984) is a German football coach and former professional player. He played as a centre back. He is currently the manager of the Arsenal Academy.

Mertesacker started his senior career at Bundesliga club Hannover 96 in November 2003. German newspapers called him "the Defence Pole" because he was very tall. He was known for playing fairly, getting no yellow cards in his first 31 league games. After playing 74 matches for Hannover, he moved to Werder Bremen in 2006. There, he became known for understanding the game well and stopping opponent attacks. He helped Bremen win the German Cup in 2009.

After playing well at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, he joined Premier League club Arsenal in 2011. At Arsenal, Mertesacker quickly became a key defender. He formed a strong partnership with Laurent Koscielny. They helped Arsenal win the FA Cup in 2014, ending a nine-year wait for a trophy. He later captained the team and scored in the FA Cup final a year later. He became the club's official captain in 2016 and won the FA Cup again in 2017. Injuries affected the end of his career at Arsenal, and he retired in 2018.

For his country, Mertesacker played for Germany's under-20 and under-21 teams. He made his debut for the senior team in 2004. He was Germany's main centre back for ten years. He played in the UEFA European Championship in 2008 and 2012. He also played in the 2006, 2010, and 2014 FIFA World Cups. Germany won the World Cup in 2014. He retired from international football after this win.

Mertesacker also started a charity called "Per Mertesacker Stiftung". It helps young athletes and people in need. After retiring from playing, he became a coach. He now manages the Arsenal Academy.

Early Life and Youth Football

Per Mertesacker grew up in Pattensen, a small town near Hanover. He was the second of three sons. He started playing football with his brothers at a local club, TSV Pattensen. Later, he joined Hannover 96, where his father was a part-time coach.

As a young player, Mertesacker did not plan to become a professional footballer. He focused on his studies to go to college. He completed his high school exams while playing football. He also did community service at a center for people with disabilities.

Club Career Highlights

Hannover 96

Mertesacker joined the youth team of Hannover 96. His father, Stefan, coached him until he was 15. He joined the first team for the 2003–04 season. He played his first league game in November 2003 as a right-back. He was the youngest German-born player in the Bundesliga at that time.

He returned to the first team later that season. He helped Hannover 96 avoid being moved to a lower league. In August 2004, he scored his first professional goal against Borussia Dortmund. He became the main centre back. His good play was noticed by the national team coach, Jürgen Klinsmann.

Mertesacker was called "Mr. Clean" because he rarely got yellow cards. He only received two yellow cards during his time at Hannover. In May 2006, he played his last game for Hannover 96 and scored a goal. He was good friends with his teammate Robert Enke, who later passed away. Mertesacker helped collect donations for Enke's family.

In 2018, Mertesacker returned to Hanover for a special charity match. His old teammates from Hannover 96 played against a "World XI" team. This team included players from Arsenal, Werder Bremen, and the German national team. He chose Hanover because it was where his career started.

Werder Bremen

Mertesacker playing for Werder Bremen

In August 2006, Mertesacker moved to Werder Bremen. This happened after he played very well in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He cost €5 million, which was a lot for Bremen at the time. He quickly became a key player in the defense.

In November, he scored his first Champions League goal against Chelsea. He helped Bremen win the German Cup in 2009. He also helped them reach the UEFA Cup final that year. He scored four goals in all competitions that season.

Mertesacker played 33 league matches in the 2009–10 season, scoring five goals. In his last two seasons at Bremen, he only received one yellow card in 63 league games. This showed he was very good at reading the game and avoiding fouls.

Arsenal

Mertesacker and Arsenal against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League

On 31 August 2011, Arsenal signed Mertesacker on a four-year contract. He was given the number 4 shirt. He quickly became an important part of Arsenal's defense. He worked well with his defensive partner, Laurent Koscielny.

In February 2012, Mertesacker got an ankle injury. He had surgery and missed the rest of the season. He returned strong for the next season. He helped Arsenal keep clean sheets in many games. In October, he scored his first goal for Arsenal in a 5–2 win against Tottenham Hotspur.

Mertesacker on the ball for Arsenal against Sunderland in 2012

In January 2013, Mertesacker captained Arsenal for the first time in an FA Cup game. He played almost every game that season. He was a key player in Arsenal's defense.

For the 2013–14 season, Mertesacker became the temporary captain. He scored his first goal of the season against Stoke. His strong performances helped Arsenal have a great start to the season. He was chosen for the Premier League Team of the Year. In March 2014, he signed a new contract with Arsenal.

Mertesacker and Arsenal against Stoke in the Premier League

In April 2014, Mertesacker scored an important goal in the FA Cup semi-final against Wigan Athletic. Arsenal won the game on penalties. On 17 May 2014, he played in the 2014 FA Cup Final. Arsenal beat Hull City 3–2 to win the trophy.

In the 2015 FA Cup Final, he captained Arsenal to a 4–0 victory over Aston Villa. He scored the third goal with a header. He continued to be a strong leader for Arsenal. In January 2016, he received a red card against Chelsea.

In the 2016–17 pre-season, he got a knee injury. He had surgery and missed most of the season. Despite this, he was named club captain. On 27 May 2017, Mertesacker made his only start of the season in the 2017 FA Cup Final. Arsenal won 2–1 against Chelsea. His performance was highly praised by the opposing manager.

Arsenal announced that the 2017–18 season would be Mertesacker's last. He played his final game for the club in May 2018.

International Career

In September 2004, Jürgen Klinsmann, the manager of Germany, called Mertesacker to play. He made his debut less than two weeks after his 20th birthday. He quickly became Germany's main centre back.

Mertesacker during a 2014 World Cup qualifying match against Austria

At the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup in Germany, he played all five games. He scored his first international goal against Australia. Germany finished in third place.

At the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, Mertesacker played in central defense. After Germany won a quarter-final match, he was involved in a small incident with an opponent. He still played well and earned a transfer to Werder Bremen.

Mertesacker played in the 2008 European Championship. He also played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He usually wore the number 17 jersey.

He was part of the squad for the 2012 European Championship. He scored his second international goal for Germany in October 2012. This was in a World Cup qualifier against Sweden. In September 2013, he scored his third goal against the Faroe Islands. In November 2013, Mertesacker captained Germany and scored the winning goal against England.

During the 2014 World Cup qualification, Mertesacker scored two goals. He became the main centre back again. He was called up for the World Cup squad. He played in almost all games as Germany won the final. He also reached his 100th game for Germany during the tournament. On 15 August 2014, Mertesacker announced he was retiring from international football.

During the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Mertesacker became famous online for a post-match interview. After a tough win against Algeria, he was tired. A reporter asked about the team's defense. Mertesacker famously replied, "What do you want from me? [...] I'll lie down in the ice bath for three days and then we'll analyze the game in peace." This interview was called the "Ice Bath Interview." Fans loved his honest and funny response. He later posted a picture of himself in an ice bath on Twitter.

Life After Playing Football

Mertesacker became the new manager of the Arsenal Academy in July 2018. He started a coaching program with Save the Children. This program helps young people in refugee camps through football.

After Arsenal's manager was fired in November 2019, Mertesacker became an interim assistant manager. He also works as a football expert for DAZN Germany, covering the Champions League.

How He Played

Per Mertesacker is very tall, about 2 meters (6 feet 6 inches). This made him excellent at heading the ball. He was also good at defending on the ground. He used his strength to win the ball from opponents.

Some people said he was not very fast. But he made up for it with his great positioning and understanding of the game. He was good at intercepting passes and clearing the ball. This is why he rarely committed fouls or got yellow cards.

Mertesacker also had good ball control and was a good passer. He often played alongside faster defenders. This allowed them to cover more ground together.

Personal Life

Mertesacker met his wife, Ulrike Stange, in 2008. She was a German international handball player. They were both recovering from injuries at a clinic. They got married in June 2013 and have two sons. Mertesacker is a Protestant Christian.

In 2018, Mertesacker spoke about the high pressure of being a professional footballer. He said he sometimes felt very stressed. He continued playing because he loved the sport and wanted to win. He was open about these feelings, which helped start discussions about how athletes deal with pressure.

Outside Football

In November 2006, Mertesacker started the "Per Mertesacker Foundation." It first helped the family of his former teammate Robert Enke. Since 2007, the foundation has held yearly charity football matches. Famous players and celebrities have taken part to raise money.

Mertesacker also owns a real estate company in Hanover with his former teammate Clemens Fritz. They started this business to plan for their lives after football.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Germany score listed first, score column indicates score after each Mertesacker goal.

List of international goals scored by Per Mertesacker

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	15 June 2005	Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt, Germany	Australia	2–1	4–3	2005 FIFA Confederations Cup
2	16 October 2012	Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany	Sweden	3–0	4–4	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
3	10 September 2013	Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands	Faroe Islands	1–0	3–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
4	19 November 2013	Wembley Stadium, London, England	England	1–0	1–0	Friendly

Honours and Awards

Werder Bremen

• DFB-Pokal: 2008–09, runner-up: 2009–10
• UEFA Cup runner-up: 2008–09

Arsenal

• FA Cup: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17
• FA Community Shield: 2015, 2017
• EFL Cup runner-up: 2017–18

Germany

• FIFA World Cup: 2014, third place: 2006, 2010
• UEFA European Championship: runner up (2008)

Individual

• kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2007–08

Images for kids

• 

  A robot for kids.

See also

In Spanish: Per Mertesacker para niños