Latest news with #PerMertesacker
Scottish Sun
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Arsenal legend, 40, comes out of retirement for 30-min cameo in anniversary match saying ‘I'm halfway in shape'
Former player has helped the Gunners out since hanging up his boots GUNS RELOADED 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 - Arsenal, Werder Bremen and Hannover. Advertisement 1 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. Advertisement READ MORE IN FOOTBALL I'VE GOT LEW Hamilton gives F1 rival lift on his private jet after he was booked on EasyJet 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. Advertisement BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS 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. Christian Norgaard to Arsenal LATEST | Transfers Exposed "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. Advertisement "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."
The Sun
11 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
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 - Arsenal, Werder Bremen and Hannover. 1 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. 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. 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. "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. "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."
The Irish Sun
11 hours ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
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 - Advertisement 1 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. Advertisement READ MORE IN FOOTBALL 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. Advertisement Most read in Football BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS 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. Christian Norgaard to Arsenal LATEST | Transfers Exposed "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. Advertisement "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."
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Inside Myles Lewis-Skelly's Arsenal contract: His role in the deal, mamba mentality and Arteta's trust
When the time came for Myles Lewis-Skelly's contract talks with Arsenal to begin, there was a surprising speaker at the first key meeting: Myles himself. Lewis-Skelly joined Arsenal at eight years old. Now 18, he was presenting in the boardroom to some of the most influential figures at the club — manager Mikel Arteta, academy manager Per Mertesacker, then-interim sporting director Jason Ayto and director of football operations James King were all in attendance. It is rare for any footballer to do that. For an 18-year-old, it is unheard of. Lewis-Skelly described his experiences at Hale End and the core values it has instilled in him. Then he spoke about his own values and outlook. He touched on his belief in visualisation and gave examples of other athletes and the processes that have inspired him, such as Kobe Bryant's 'mamba mentality' for having a killer instinct on the court. Lewis-Skelly spoke about his desire to keep the No 49 shirt, because of what it means to him, the club and its supporters. He introduced the wider team he envisions supporting him through his career, and spoke of looking forward to their long-term collaboration with Arsenal. For those in attendance, it was a unique experience. The approach designed by Lewis-Skelly's team was original, creative and insightful. Football executives are not accustomed to being presented to by players, so there were naturally some reservations. But there was also enormous pride at seeing an academy player, a local boy, take the floor and speak with maturity and conviction. Lewis-Skelly's presentation set in motion a period of negotiation that has culminated in a five-year contract that will make him one of the highest-paid teenagers in world football. For this article, The Athletic spoke to people with an understanding of the discussions to detail how the deal was done. It has been a collaborative process. Lewis-Skelly is represented by his mother, Marcia Lewis. Lewis is the founder of No 1 Fan Club, which serves as a network and resource for the parents of young footballers. As part of her self-education in football, she studied for a master's degree in football business and passed FIFA's football agent exam — and still serves as Myles' representative. She does not guide her son's journey alone, however. Lewis has assembled a team of skilled experts to help manage Lewis-Skelly's career. Among them is renowned sports lawyer Daniel Geey, who has a significant track record in working closely with families, as well as Arsenal. He was part of the talks on Declan Rice's Arsenal contract with the midfielder's family, and Alessia Russo's contract, working alongside her brother, Luca. The idea was to surround Lewis-Skelly with specialists in their respective fields to support the whole family. While Lewis-Skelly's priority is his football, he takes an interest in every aspect of his career. He wanted to play an active role in the talks. Marcia did not want a traditional meeting distilled to a transnational exchange of financial expectations. She wanted to present something deeper — something that illustrated Lewis-Skelly's value, but also showed his journey to this point and their aspirations to keep working with Arsenal. As well as Myles, both Marcia and his father, Paul, spoke on their experience as academy parents. It was important to them that Mertesacker was present, given his role in Lewis-Skelly's education. Mertesacker and under-18s coach Adam Birchall have been integral to Lewis-Skelly's development. The presentation also included a section from Analytics FC, the sports consultancy that has provided data for Kevin De Bruyne and Ben White in high-profile contract negotiations. Their findings were not solely focused on Lewis-Skelly's individual performance, but were about putting him in context and demonstrating an awareness of the competitive landscape. After his contract was announced, Lewis-Skelly posted a shared collaboration with Instagram that focussed on his upbringing and journey (see below). A post shared by Instagram (@instagram) Although there had been informal conversations since the turn of the year, the renewal process began in earnest in March. This was during Ayto's time as interim sporting director, with Andrea Berta picking up the baton after his appointment at the end of that month. Within weeks of his arrival, Berta had reached out to introduce himself to the Lewis-Skelly camp. Despite being new in the job, he impressed with his knowledge of the player. Berta makes a habit of watching training at London Colney and has been struck by Lewis-Skelly's personality and ability. But the man who provided continuity, and who shepherded the deal from outset to completion, was director of football operations James King. King was hired in 2024 to replace Richard Garlick, who had stepped up to become managing director. King had previously been senior legal counsel at the club before leaving to become general counsel at the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA). He is regarded as a skilled negotiator, but also very personable. His time with the PFA, allied with Marcia's interests in footballers and family, meant they quickly found common ground and struck up a good rapport. King became the primary point of contact on the deal. His importance is reflected in his presence at the official signing and photography. The other key individual was Arteta. Lewis-Skelly has great respect for the Arsenal manager, as well as enormous gratitude: Arteta instigated the positional switch to left-back that has accelerated his development. He saw something others did not. Lewis-Skelly recognises the faith Arteta has placed in him and is determined to repay it. Towards the end of last season, he made a point of expressing his thanks to the Arsenal manager. 'I went to the boss' office and sat down,' says Lewis-Skelly. 'I said, 'Boss, first things first: I'm grateful for you putting trust in me this season. If I wasn't at left-back, I wouldn't go on the trajectory or the journey that I am on now. 'I told him I'm grateful for him, that he changed my life, and helped change my family's life. He seemed happy with what I had to say.' There has been speculation over whether Lewis-Skelly will remain at left-back or revert to a midfield role, but his position on the pitch was not part of the talks. For the time being, he is just happy to be playing. He is relishing the possibility of being England's left-back at next summer's World Cup. Given that he was set to become a free agent in 2026, there was inevitably interest from other clubs. Throughout the process, however, Lewis-Skelly's priority was always to stay with Arsenal. From the outset, the ambition was always to have Lewis-Skelly's contract signed before he returned to training at London Colney in mid-July. That job is done. Arsenal take great pride in where Lewis-Skelly has come from. Now they can look forward to his future.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
World Cup winner Mertesacker to play one more time for boyhood club
Per Mertesacker, footballer and soccer expert, attends the "Sport Bild" Award 2024 ceremony in Hamburg. Mertesacker will return to the pitch one more time next week to play for his boyhood club TSV Pattensen. Christian Charisius/dpa Former Germany defender Per Mertesacker will return to the pitch one more time next week to play for his boyhood club TSV Pattensen. The northern German amateur side play second division Hanover, where he started his professional career, on June 27 on the occasion of their 135th anniversary. Advertisement "It is a big honour for me to lace my boots one more time for the club where I started at the age of 4," the Bild paper on Thurs quoted Mertesacker as saying. Mertesacker said he was "halfway in shape", hopes to last for around 30 minutes, but is not planning to play on a regular basis again. "It is not supposed to be a Per Mertesacker show but a great experience for TSV," he said. Mertesacker, 40, joined Pattensen at the age of 4 before moving on to Hanover when he was 11. He made his Bundesliga debut for Hanover eight years later and then also played for Werder Bremen and Arsenal where he ended his career in 2018. The 2014 World Cup winner Mertesacker has remained in London as head of Arsenal's academy.
