Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker worked in German psychiatric hospital for social service year
PER MERTESACKER’S has revealed working in a German psychiatric hospital was the most formative period of his life.
The Arsenal ace had to decide between a year of military or social service after finishing school and opted to avoid the army.
Instead Gunners centre-back Mertesacker made the commendable decision to serve some of the most desperate people, helping them dress and feed themselves and use the toilet.
Speaking to Arsenal Player, the classy defender said: “When I finished school, I had to serve the country either in the military or by doing a social year.
“I decided to do a social year while I was playing football, so the club had a few links with mental hospitals and I chose one of those and they offered that I can train in the morning and serve in the afternoon and help people out.
“At first I thought, ‘Can I deal with that? Can I deal with people not knowing me?’ but they just needed help to get food, to go to the toilet, to go to bed, to get dressed, everything.
“They just needed 24/7 help.
“But I felt like I could handle it and the most important part was I felt I could work in the morning and go there and do my job and serve the country, but serve the patients as well and see what it’s about when you really struggle with your life.
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“It kept me going and kept me seeing the world in a different way, a totally different way, so when you experience first-hand what it’s about, when you really struggle, when you really need help from other people, it keeps you down to earth - that was a humbling experience for me.”
Arsenal are so impressed with Mertesacker on and off the pitch that he becomes their new academy director in September.
The veteran will be in charge of around 70 employees and 150 to 200 youth players in his post playing career.
But the World Cup winner has revealed that his year working at the other end of the scale, as far removed from the glamour and riches of professional football, have prepared him for everything.
Mertesacker said: “When I look back to that time, that was a really healthy balance for me to grow and to see what it means on the one hand living in a world of highlights, in a world of beauty and people recognising you, people showing up for a game with 40,000 fans in the stands, and then on the other hand the hidden guys who need 24/7 help and do not recognise you.
“I think that was the best experience I had.
“That really kept me going, growing not only as a person but as a footballer.”
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