Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain says that Per Mertesacker is the player who keeps the Arsenal squad in check.
The Ox explained that, as one of the most senior figures in the dressing room, Mertesacker has great influence plus the responsibility of issuing fines.
“Per is the enforcer,” the 21-year-old laughed. “He’s the fines master so he keeps everyone in check and he’s always issuing fines to make sure that people are on time.
“He’s open to dispute as well! He’s got his own little committee and you can voice your argument if you think you were late for a good enough reason. Usually his final word rules and he doesn’t get fined because he’s never late. He’s too efficient!
“He’s got me with a few. Being late for meetings, dinner, breakfast in hotels, being late into training, using my phone in the wrong areas of the training ground - there’s a lot of fines like that.
“They’re pretty straightforward but it’s really important that we all keep our time and keep our standards high. Per makes sure he stays on top of everyone in that respect.”
Copyright 2024 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.