Per Mertesacker

Per Mertesacker (2012 )

Per Mertesacker ( born September 29, 1984 in Hannover ) is a German football player who is under contract at Arsenal since 2011.

Life

Mertesacker grew up in Pattensen and visited until the 10th class the local Ernst- Reuter-Schule. At the Carl- Friedrich-Gauß School in Hemmingen he graduated from the High School.

Career

Association

Per Mertesacker began his career as a football player at TSV Pattensen and changed in 1995 at the age of eleven years to Hannover 96, where he played for several years, among other things under his father Stefan Mertesacker. Since he was not regarded as an outstanding talent, he had already thought to end football career. Under 96 Youth coach Jörg Goslar he still managed to participate in the training of professionals and was established in November 2003 at the age of 19 years and one month by then- 96 coach Ralf Rangnick with his first in the Bundesliga against 1 FC Cologne rewarded for his perseverance. However, he did not play on his regular position in central defense, but as a right-back and was replaced at half-time after rather mediocre performance.

Mertesacker was given a professional contract, but had to wait four months for his next Bundesliga use. Under coach Ewald Lienen to Per Mertesacker developed for regular players and defensive stalwart in central defense Hannover 96 in the 2004/05 season he already was one of the undisputed top performers of the team. His professional colleagues in the Bundesliga chose him after the first round of 2004/ 05 "greatest talent ".

On 8 August 2006 Mertesacker moved for a transfer fee of 4.7 million euros to Werder Bremen, where he signed a contract until 2010, which was later extended until 2012. To return half kick-off the season 2006/ 07 he met with his second league goal for Werder Bremen calculated against his former club Hannover 96 in Bremen, he was, as before, in Hanover, quickly becoming the crowd favorite, regulars and later, after the departure of Frank Baumann and Torsten Frings, even appointed team captain. From the Hanover and Bremen fans, he also received the nickname " Merte ". With the SV Werder he won the 2009 DFB-Pokal and moved in the same year the finals of the UEFA Cup, where it was defeated after extra Shakhtar Donetsk.

After a weaker 2010/11 season Mertesacker joined on August 31, 2011 - shortly before the end of the transfer window - for Arsenal in the Premier League. The transfer fee was about 10 million euros. For the Gunners, he made his debut (Matchday 4 ) 10 September 2011 in a 1-0 victory at home to Swansea City. His first goal in the Premier League he scored on 17 November 2012 ( 12 Matchday) in a 5-2 victory at home to Tottenham Hotspur the deficit to 1-1 in the intervening 23 minutes.

On 4 March 2014 he extended his current contract early 2015 to 2018.

National

Shortly after the jump from the A- youth into the first team Hannover 96 followed the next career step: After only a few Bundesliga appearances as a regular player, the then national coach Jürgen Klinsmann Per Mertesacker convened for the first time to the senior national team. His first international game he played on 9 October 2004 in Teheran against the Iranian national team.

Due to its consistent performance and consistent, but fair play the Confederations Cup in Germany in 2005, in which he in the game against Australia also achieved his first international goal, he established himself in the national team as a fixed size, and was one of the few players who already could be expected in the run-up to the 2006 World Cup with a regular place.

His World Cup debut Per Mertesacker on 9 June 2006 in Munich, Germany in the opening match against Costa Rica. He played alongside Jens Lehmann and Philipp Lahm is the only regular player of the national team all the German World Cup matches until the semi-finals over the full season. As a central defender, he was one of the World Cup players with the best duel values and came out without a yellow card. In the match for 3rd place, he could not accrue due to bursitis.

For the European Championship 2008, he was appointed to the levy of the German national coach Joachim Loew.

On 6 May 2010 he was appointed by national coach Joachim Loew in the extended squad for the 2010 World Cup and played in the World Cup all games over 90 minutes for the German team.

For the European Championship 2012, he was re-appointed to the German squad. There he was, however, displaced by Mats Hummels from his regular place in the team and was the first time in a major tournament only a substitute and had no use after he almost consistently had a regular place in the starting XI in the previous seven years.

On May 29, 2013, led the national team during the game against Ecuador for the first time as captain on the field after he had already four times over the captaincy after replacement of the captain.

On September 10, 2013 Per Mertesacker in the 23rd minute scored his third goal for the national team in the World Cup qualifier against the Faroe Islands. On November 19, 2013, resulted in his 95th international game, which he drew even with Sepp Maier and Karl -Heinz Rummenigge, the Match against England at Wembley in the national team for the second time as captain on the field and scored with his first head - goal for the national team's 1-0 win matches.

With his 198 cm, it is the biggest national player of the DFB history.

Play

Mertesacker is known for its fair play, he comes with very few fouls. This is largely due to his good positional play. He shows a strong sense of the room. With his game intelligence Mertesacker guessed early, where a ball is played and as often expire enemy passes into the deep, without getting into difficult one-on- one situations. His strengths include the opening game. After ball conquests Mertesacker kicks the ball uncontrollably forward, but is the first station of a fast game structure through the midfield. Its weaknesses include the lack of speed. Repeatedly hit the 1.98 m- man accusations of slowness and clumsiness.

Achievements

Association

DFB Cup winner: 2009
UEFA Cup: semi-finalist in 2007, Finalist 2009
German Vice-Champion: 2008
League Cup winners: 2006

National

World Championship: third in 2006, third in 2010
European Championships: Finalist 2008
Confed Cup: Third 2005

Honors

Lower Saxony's Footballer of the Year: 2005
Silver Bay Leaf: 2006 and 2010

Private

Since summer 2008, Per Mertesacker is romantically involved with handball Ulrike rod. On 24 April 2011, their son was born. In June 2013 he married Ulrike in the Marienburg Castle, near his hometown Pattensen near Hanover.

Remarkable

Mertesacker is considered -tackling, but with only eight yellow and two red cards in 221 Bundesliga matches (as of September 2, 2011 ) very fair defender and is an important role model for the fans.

In November 2006, Mertesacker called the " Per- Mertesacker -Stiftung " to life. This promotes the integration and the athletic training of disadvantaged youth, and also supports non-culpable people in need. The Board of Trustees other celebrities such as comedian Oliver Pocher are represented. In order to raise money football jerseys and other things for auction on the internet. In addition, the Per Mertesacker Foundation regularly organizes a charity football match of celebrities. The first took place on 9 June 2007 between " Mertesacker & Friends " and the " Pocher comedian Allstars " in Rudolf Kalweit stadium in Hanover, another in 2008 and 2009 (in this case against a selected team of Philipp Lahm and " Best of Mertesacker & Pocher Friends of Robert Enke "(2011) ) " vs. "

Since summer 2009, is committed to Per Mertesacker for the social project we help Africa for the Football World Cup 2010 in South Africa. He supports the project as a city inspiration for Tettnang.

Mertesacker is one of four representatives of the Bundesliga and first leagues in gamers council of the Association of Contract football players.

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