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National team player Per Mertesacker

Number:

Date/place of birth:

29.09.1984

Height:

1,96 m

Weight:

85 kg

Club:

Werder Bremen

Former clubs:

Hannover 96
TSV Pattensen

Position:

Defence

Matches	Goals	W	T	L	Percentage	In	Out
69	1	46	10	13	67%	2	5

all statistics

Per Mertesacker: From civil service to model pro

At the latest since the World Cup 2006 in Germany Per Mertesacker is a constant in the German central defence. The native of Hanover doesn't only impress with his strong tackling, his rapidity and his intelligent positional play, but also with his fairness. His first 31 Bundesliga matches ended without a single Yellow card for the tall blonde defender, bringing him the praise of sports magazine kicker as 'Mr. Clean' of the Bundesliga. During the World Cup 2006 he managed to have one of the best tackling percentages without getting booked.

Mertesacker, who carried out his civil service during his 'apprenticeship' as a football pro in a center for handicapped people in Hanover, was therefore especially annoyed, when he was sent off for the first time in the Bundesliga in March 2008. Of all fouls, one against his National team mate Mario Gomez of VfB Stuttgart made him leave the pitch early. Still, Gomez wasn't cross at Mertesacker for his professional foul during their 3-6 loss at Stuttgart on March 8.

His significance among his colleagues is best shown by their election of him as the 'biggest talent' after the first round of matches in the 2004/05 season. Since then, the talented youngster, who debuted on All Saints' Day 2003 aged 19 under coach Ralf Rangnick against 1. FC Köln for Hannover 96, has become a veteran pro. Even though he had a successful career so far, he has stayed to be a model for modesty. That didn't change either after his transfer to Werder Bremen, completed after the World Cup 2006. At Werder he continuously developed and wasn't thrown off track by smaller injuries or other setbacks.

It suits the 23-year-old's character, who always is highly self-critical. Another reason, that he has stayed with his feet firmly to the ground, is the support by his parents, where he lived in his first years as a pro. His father Stefan was his coach for some time after he came in 1995 from his home club TSV Pattensen to Hannover 96 at the of eleven. But even though his abilities were undisputable, Mertesacker at that time was not seen as a exceptional talent and often thought about changing his sports. Luckily he decided otherwise.

Mertesacker doesn't only think of football though. In November 2006 he started the 'Per-Mertesacker-Stiftung', a foundation, which supports amateur sports as well as people being hard up.

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