Per Mertesacker to pull on his boots once more, but only for one night | OneFootball

Arsenal academy chief to start for TSV Pattensen in anniversary match against Hannover 96

Photo by Christian Fischer/Bongarts/Getty Images

Per Mertesacker, the towering former Arsenal defender and current head of the club’s academy, is preparing for an unexpected return to the pitch – but only for half an hour.

Now 40, Mertesacker has agreed to start for his boyhood club TSV Pattensen in a celebratory fixture against Hannover 96, the club where he began his professional career, to mark Pattensen’s 135th anniversary on 27 June.

Speaking to Segeberger Zeitung, Mertesacker said, “I’m halfway in shape.”

According to local reports, the 2014 World Cup winner has been keeping fit by occasionally training with Arsenal’s under-16 side.

Photo by Friedemann Vogel/Bongarts/Getty Images

While his return may thrill fans of the Lower Saxon club, Mertesacker was quick to shut down any suggestion of a more permanent move. “That’s out of the question for me. But my passport is still with TSV, I think,” he added.

Nicknamed “Big f**cking German” during his time in North London, Mertesacker earned a cult following for his intelligent defending and leadership. His final professional appearance came in the 2017–18 FA Cup campaign, after which he moved directly into his current post overseeing Arsenal’s youth development.

Although his playing days are firmly in the past, Mertesacker’s brief cameo for Pattensen will be welcomed by supporters keen to celebrate one of their most distinguished alumni.