Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has no doubts Per Mertesacker will be a big success in his future role with the academy.

Arsenal announced earlier this month that club captain Mertesacker will retire from professional football at the end of the coming season to take over at the Hale End academy, without a permanent head since the departure of Andries Jonker for the Wolfsburg management post in February.

"When we raised the question, he thought about it and naturally the process integrated slowly into his brain," Wenger told the Arsenal website. "The decision in the end that was not obvious at all at the start for him, became very obvious.

"I'm happy because I believe that he can guide the future generations of Arsenal Football Club to successful careers.

"When you have a reputation, when you're admired, you have two ways to behave. To take advantage of it and take privileges, or you're conscious of the responsibility you have and you want to be a model that other people take example from.

"He chooses the right way and has always done that. There's talent in your career and what you make of it. The respect you gain for people is more from what they make of their talent, and on that front Per has done extremely well."