Arsenal legend, 40, comes out of retirement for 30-min cameo in anniversary match saying ‘I'm halfway in shape'
ARSENAL legend Per Mertesacker came out of retirement to feature in an anniversary match.
The defender had a lengthy career but only featured for three clubs -
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Per Mertesacker made his comeback in a friendly
Credit: Getty - Contributor
His youth career was spent at German regional side TSV Pattensen 1890, who celebrated 135 years as a club this week.
To mark the occasion they held a friendly against Hannover, losing 3-0.
Mertesacker lined up for the semi-pro side - marking his
football
comeback after retiring in 2017.
The centre-back started the match but lasted just 30 minutes.
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He said ahead of kick-off: "I'm halfway in shape."
Mertesacker played down his chances of a permanent stay, adding: "That's out of the question for me. But my passport is still with TSV, I think."
The German is still tied down to Arsenal as director of the club's academy.
Mertesacker played 221 games for the club between 2011 and 2018 before moving into a coaching role with the Gunners' youth teams.
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He previously revealed his plans for the academy, stating: "I believe as an academy we should be in a position to provide those players for the first team in the
future
.
"I am really conscious that alignment means as well that once we get more successful and get back into the Champions League, that is the level for our players to be at.
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"With the tweaks we are making [in the academy] and becoming younger by acquiring talent from the outside to become younger, this is a message to the academy: we need to be world leading.
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"To become that we are on a journey. How close are we? I'm not sure.
"We're competing with the best academies in
England
but also in
Europe
and the world. I think we're in a good position, but ready to do more."
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