Gnabry has opened up on his relationship with his compatriot during his time in North London. He joined Arsenal from Stuttgart at the age of 16, a move he admitted was a big one for him.
The German failed to flourish at the Emirates Stadium, despite a short loan spell at West Bromwich Albion. Gnabry moved back to Germany with Werder Bremen, and now with Bayern Munich, where he has established himself as one of the best players in Bundesliga.
Gnabry admits that he owes Mertesacker for his recent rise to the top, as the current Arsenal academy coach cajoled him to be the best when he was young.
“He used to always be so hard on me, but in a really good way,” the 24-year-old wrote for The Players’ Tribune.
“He was like an older brother for me at Arsenal, and no matter how well I played, or how hard I worked, he used to say...
“O.K., hang on! Because this part is not going to make sense unless you really know Per. You have to hear his voice.”
“You have to see his face. Per is the nicest guy in the world. But he’s also the most German guy in the world.
“Like everything he says, it’s so intense. Like he’s so tall, and he’s looking down at you trying to be intimidating but it’s also kind of friendly.”
“I don’t know if there’s an English word for it. Imagine like a really friendly Arnold Schwarzenegger or something. That’s Per.
“And no matter what I did in training, he would come up to me afterwards and start yelling, like: ‘Serge, remember where you come from! You are from Stuttgart! Humility, humility, humility! Serge, you think you’re good now, huh? You must be humble! Humility!’”
