Per Mertesacker Relieved Not To Have Played More Regularly For Arsenal Last Season

Former Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker has reiterated his relief at rarely being selected to play during his final season at the club.

Per Mertesacker, 33, retired in May to take up leading role in the Gunners’ academy

He made just 12 appearances despite being fit and available for the majority of last season

Mertesacker claimed in March that he felt physically sick before matches and how he was struggling to cope with the demands of professional football.

And on Friday he told the BBC: “Especially in my last year, I felt something and felt the pressure and it was very awkward sometimes.

“I was happy about not necessarily playing, just training was enough for me.

“Being in a career and going from highlight to highlight and playing a lot of matches you go through it and think it’s normal when you play in front of 60,000 and you almost want to vomit in front of every game.

“It’s not right playing these games to have that fear about what’s going on with me. The fact that I actually felt better after saying ‘I’m going to stop’, I had less pain.”

“Sometimes you don’t feel like doing sports or don’t feel like doing workouts [where you are] spending eight weeks together and you just don’t see your family,” he added.

“So it [football] has taken some bits and pieces as well – my health at one or two stages where you give absolutely everything and your body is just exhausted and you try to continue but your body says ‘I’m done. I need an injury I need a break.’ That’s what I’ve experienced.”