Mertesacker, 28, who has 88 caps for Germany, is well placed to take up the mantle. He had an aunt who lived in Plymouth and he would visit England regularly as a child and take back Arsenal shirts as souvenirs.
'I was not like a real fan - it was hard to watch the Premier League or FA Cup from Germany - but there was a connection with the club always. Tony Adams was the idol. He grew up as a legend and Ian Wright was the star, because he scored the goals.
'I had the jersey with JVC on, one home one and the blue away one. Of course, I still have them. They're at home with my parents. They are unique for me. A lot of friends texted me when I moved here saying, "We remember you wore the Arsenal shirt when you were 12!" Because everyone wore shirts from abroad like Real Madrid, Barcelona but for me it was Arsenal.'
His younger brother, Timo, who picked up Manchester United shirts on those Devonian visits, has since been converted to Arsenal. Indeed, to such an extent that he travels to away games to watch his brother on the supporters' coaches and sits with away fans rather than in the directors' box.
'When we were young it was like a competition, we'd look to the Premier League to say who's first between United and Arsenal. We created a rivalry. But now it is completely Arsenal. He lives in Germany but he sometimes goes to away games, like to Wigan. He's obsessed completely by Arsenal. He wants to get the atmosphere so he goes in the away end and he travelled once by bus [with fans].'
There is one chant his brother must have picked up on. 'We've got a big, f****** German! Big f****** German!' sing the Arsenal fans of Mertesacker. Does Timo join in? 'I think so,' he says, laughing. 'Maybe it makes him proud!' Mertesacker is relaxed about it. 'I was quite afraid at first but now I understand everything,' he says. The words don't necessarily convey affection and adulation, unless you understand the roots of English terrace culture.
