London: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger confirmed on Sunday that goalkeeper Jens Lehmann will be leaving the club at the end of the season.

The 38-year-old Germany international was given a rousing send-off by Arsenal fans after coming on for the final 20 minutes of their 1-0 Premier League defeat of Everton at the Emirates Stadium.

Wenger said Lehmann, who lost his place to Spaniard Manuel Almunia early in the season, was worthy of his ovation. “He deserves that,” Wenger told the BBC. “We have a big respect for him because he has been a 100 per cent professional for the five years he was here.

“Overall he deserves that because he has contributed a lot to the success of the club and we will miss him because he’s a very important player not only on the pitch but off the pitch.”

Lehmann joined in 2003 from Borussia Dortmund as a replacement for David Seaman, winning the title in his first season when he played every game of Arsenal’s unbeaten league campaign.

He also won the FA Cup the following season.

Lehmann will be in the Germany squad for Euro 2008 but said he was undecided about what he would do after that. (Reuters)