German international believes he’s earned his improved terms.
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Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker believes that his new deal with the club is a reward for overcoming a tough start to life at the club, the Daily Star reports.
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The 29-year-old has admitted that he found life in north London difficult following his big money move from Werder Bremen back in 2011, but he has since overcome the initial teething problems to cultivate somewhat of a cult status with the fans.
And he is now ready to put pen-to-paper on a new deal that will see him beyond 2015.
“The first year was tough for me, a very tough challenge, but the club and the manager always trusted me in a special way,” he said.
“I think it is a little reward that we are talking (about a new contract), because I still have one-and-a-half years left.
“There is no rush, but it seems that some people are delighted with my performances at the moment. I am pleased with the situation.
“I went through a lot of difficulties and a lot of mistakes at the beginning, but the manager always said I would get through it because I was a good player.
“I took my time to settle down completely and there were a lot of reasons.
“I missed completely the pre-season (before joining Arsenal), so it was really hard because I had to work straight away to play straight away.
“It took me a while to get to that level, but the manager always trusted me and said I was intelligent enough to cope with problems.”
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