Per Mertesacker: ‘Emotional’ Arsenal players have only just been informed of Arsene Wenger’s exit

Arsenal centre-back Mertesacker said, in an interview with the club’s official website, that the news came as a shock to the players.

“We have just been informed basically; it is quite emotional,” Mertesacker said. “Obviously he has been at the club for such a long time, he has been so supportive to me. One major reason why I’m here is because of him. It’s been emotional and there will be time to digest it but it is a sad feeling right now.”

Under Wenger’s leadership Mertesacker has won three FA Cup titles, and the 33-year-old was keen to stress how much gratitude he has for the manager in helping his career.

“He’s been the major figure for this club for over 20 years,” Mertesacker said. “He’s been so impressive for me and he’s trusted me so much throughout my career, in bringing me here, giving me the opportunity to play here and making me captain even when I was injured. He also gave me a future role here at the club, so I’m very grateful and humbled for the opportunity he gave to me. It is a sad day for me but we’re also moving forward for the future. It’s in Arsène’s interest as well that this club will give positive memories to the fans and the people.”

The final years of Wenger’s tenure haven’t always been played out in a positive atmosphere, with fans crowing increasingly dissatisfied with sub-par performances on the pitch. But Mertesacker says Wenger’s response to that criticism has taught him a lot.

“A lot on the pitch but also his quality of being calm in the right moments, giving people trust and empowering people to explore themselves,” Mertesacker said. “There have been a lot of challenges, a lot of highs and lows, but how he went through tough times has taught me a lot about his character and about how to trust people and get the people in the right places to be successful.

“He gave us the opportunity to explore ourselves in order to be successful, and he’s always managed to get the team around himself to be successful. The memories of winning titles with him and bringing joy to so many people - something he has done for years - is a heck of an achievement."