Per Mertesacker: ‘I want to make an impact on young people’s lives’

Arsenal’s academy manager talks about his parents’ influence, Mesut Özil and what he wants from his playersHow did you find the experience of writing a book?It was a good exercise for me to reflect on 30 years within football and different experiences. Because I wasn’t regarded as that talented, I always wanted to find out what did it make within me when people said: ‘You’re not good enough.’ And my upbringing ... as my dad sat next to me negotiating a co