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The German was appointed as the head of academy at Arsenal after retiring.
Arsenal’s head of academy, Per Mertesacker has revealed that manager, Mikel Arteta left the club a note asking them to keep the World Cup winner in some capacity when he decided to hang up his boots.
The 104-capped former Germany international made over 200 appearances for the club since signing in 2011 before he retired in 2018.
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He was then offered a role as the club’s head of academy, which he took. Speaking to The Athletic, Mertesacker revealed Arteta’s recommendation was a big part in the club’s decision to keep him.
“(Arteta) left Ivan Gazidis (Arsenal’s chief executive until 2018) a note saying, ‘You can’t lose this guy’,” says Mertesacker. “In terms of ‘You are losing me now (because) you are asking me too late’ because he had promised to go to City.
“He told Ivan, ‘You can’t lose this guy. Just put him somewhere’. That was kind of the start and we kept tabs.
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“And then (when it was) between him and Unai Emery (to replace Arsene Wenger in 2018) I put a good word in for him, without knowing how good he was as a coach. I knew how good he was as a human being and how much I trusted him. He called me when he didn’t get the job to say, ‘Thank you, I know you put my name forward’.
The 38-year-old revealed that working with Arteta at the club in new capacities has been “aligned” and has fostered a “brilliant feeling”
“A year and a half after when he then came, and Edu came, it felt like the right time. From there it has been a feeling of trust, that we both do the best for the club and it is pretty much aligned. It is a brilliant feeling that we have around this place that we are creating. It is based on the past we had together and it is really powerful.”
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Arteta and Mertesacker signed for the club in the days after the 8-2 humiliation by competitive rivals, Manchester United and they added leadership to the course which enabled Arsenal to finish third that season.
12 years later, both men are integral to the club’s success, with Mertesacker overseeing the future of the club by helping with the promotion of players like Bukayo Saka and Emie Smith Rowe. Arteta is overseeing the club’s first chance of winning the title since 2004.
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