Arsenal FC defender Per Mertesacker has picked out his ultimate XI of the players that he has shared the pitch with.
The 30-year-old had played for Hannover 96 and Werder Bremen before his move to North London and was also part of the German squad which won the World Cup last year. The defender has shared the dressing room with some of the biggest names in Germany; however, his greatest ever team has many surprises.
Mertesacker picked his former Hannover teammate Robert Enke as the goalkeeper for his team. Enke unfortunately committed suicide in the year of 2009. He picked Clemens Fritz and Philipp Lahm for the two full back positions. Lahm was the captain of the World Cup winning German side, while Fritz played alongside Mertesacker during his time with Werder Bremen.
In the center of defence he picked out current Arsenal FC teammate and long time partner Laurent Koscielny alongside his central defensive partner from Werder Bremen, Naldo.
The German opted for a midfield diamond and Torsten Frings was entrusted with the deepest role in the heart of midfield. Frings made a name for himself during his two spells with Werder Bremen, during which he made more than 400 appearances for the club.
For the right midfield position, Hanno Balitsch was selected by the German, with whom he had played during his time with Hannover. Mertesacker picked his current Arsenal FC teammate, Mesut Ozil, for the left midfield position. The duo have played for Werder Bremen and Germany together.
Diego was selected for the no.10 role, the former Atletico Madrid man shared the dressing room with Mertesacker during his time with Werder Bremen.
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One of the two strikers up top in Mertesacker’s greatest XI is former Bayern Munich striker Claudio Pizarro. The 36-year-old is yet another footballer from Werder Bremen who made it to the list. The other striker included in the list is arguably one of Germany’s greatest ever — Miroslav Klose. Mertesacker has played alongside Klose at club level with Werder Bremen, while the duo have also played together on international duty.
Here’s the video of Mertesacker selecting his Greatest XI teammates: