I'm a keeper, so no wonder I'm misunderstood, says Arsenal's Lehmann as he makes his exit from North London

But Lehmann appreciates the concern generated by the fact that only six of the 20 Barclays Premier League clubs were willing to put their faith in an English No 1 last season and, what's more, he has a theory.

"Sometimes goalkeepers over here are not going to school long enough," he explains.

"When you are a goalkeeper you must hold your concentration level very high throughout 90 minutes, sometimes 120, sometimes 150. The best way to learn that is at school with academic focus on tasks. When you leave school at 16 you don't have it, you lose it.

"That's probably why the foreign goalkeepers are coming over. I know some of them and they are bright people, like Petr Cech and Edwin van der Sar."

Lehmann, 38, is leaving Arsenal after five years. He has been working at the club's training ground this week, staying sharp before reporting to Germany's training camp in Spain on Monday for Euro 2008. England, of course, will not be there.

"You have good goalkeepers, like David James, and Joe Hart is quite promising," admits Lehmann, who says English keepers have been slow to adjust to their role in the modern game.

"I talk to our physio Gary Lewin, who was a goalkeeper at Arsenal, and he says he was brought up never to come off his line because that's not your area. That's the first massive mistake you can make.

"When I first came here, I came off my line for crosses and long balls. I was clearing them sometimes 40 yards in front of the goal. I helped my defenders and the whole team because it means they can play higher up the pitch.

"The bottom line is that most people don't really understand what a good goalkeeper is — even coaches. Everybody thinks, 'Wow this guy is making great saves', but as a goalkeeper you think, 'This guy is really good but this guy, well, you never need to fear competition from him'."

Lehmann knows the secret, he insists, but declines to share it. He is keeping it to himself while he considers a career in coaching, although he has no desire to be a specialist goalkeeping coach.

"After playing for 20 years, it would ruin my body. It's the kicking, kicking, kicking. As a normal coach it's mental pressure, mental demands."

His interest in coaching has developed during a season when he has watched football from a different angle.

Ousted from the Arsenal team by Manuel Almunia in August, his appearances have been restricted. But from the bench he has watched his teammates and studied Arsene Wenger, a manager he considers to be among the "greats".

"I've learned a lot on the sidelines — about the boss making his decisions, how you feel as a sub and the mentality of players who come on and make a difference," says Lehmann.

Having seen him build a reputation as an awkward man to manage, it's easy to smile at the prospect of Lehmann the manager, but he rejects any suggestion that he is too selfabsorbed to nurture others.

"As a goalkeeper you can't be selfish. You are the guy who has to throw his body against the ball because somebody else made a mistake 30 yards in front of you."

When Lehmann arrived from Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal went through his first season unbeaten. They won the FA Cup and he helped the Gunners to the Champions League Final with a penalty save in the last seconds of the semi-final.

"Football is about entertainment. If you don't entertain, people don't want to see you. But the most important thing is to entertain by winning."

It is off the pitch where Lehmann's behaviour has been questioned. He feuded with Almunia and criticised him publicly, prompting the Spaniard to say: "I know he hates me."

Wenger says that Lehmann is "not always easy" to work with but everyone at Arsenal acknowledges the German's talent, dedication and professionalism.

He remains a popular figure and will be missed there. Lehmann says: "During the years there have been some things where I didn't agree with his (Wenger's) opinion. That's why I'm not easy, because I questioned him about some decisions.

"When he left me out for example. When you make a decision you do not want to hear the player and you don't want him talking in the press. But sometimes it doesn't work like that. I just can't sit there for a whole year. The German press is on me, the English press is on me."

Almunia went on his summer break this week and Lehmann says the pair were able to patch up some of their differences.

Lehmann says: "I told him he should never take anything personally and that somehow he will realise he will benefit from that competition between me and him because it made him better.

"I realised this myself when I was No 2 with the German national team and Oliver Kahn was in front of me. You make a decision to compete with the guy and you push every day and that makes you better.

"That is basically what I told him and we're OK now. From my point of view, it's over. If I see him next season somewhere, I can always come to him and shake his hand and wish him all the best. I respect him. You will have to ask him what he thinks."