(REUTERS) – ARSENAL manager, Arsene Wenger is to stand down at the end of the season after a reign of almost 22 years during which he redefined the Premier League club and became their most successful boss.

The longest-serving current manager in English soccer, with 1228 games of which he was in charge, had, however, faced increasing criticism from fans for the Gunners’ failure to sustain a serious title challenge in recent seasons.
“After careful consideration and following discussions with the club, I feel it is the right time for me to step down at the end of the season,” the 68-year-old Frenchman said in a statement issued by the club on Friday.

“I am grateful for having had the privilege to serve the club for so many memorable years. I managed the club with full commitment and integrity,” added Wenger, who urged the fans to stand behind the team and end the season on a high.
Wenger signed a two-year contract extension in 2017 and had said he planned to see it out despite calls for him to be replaced.

“My personal situation is not so much my worry at the moment,” he had told reporters on Thursday, when asked about his future.
“My worry is to transform a season with many disappointments away from home into a success, and that’s what matters to me.”

The Gunners are a distant sixth in the league, 14 points adrift of fourth-placed North London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, with five games remaining.
They are also in the semi-finals of the Europa League, a tournament which represents their only realistic route to the lucrative Champions League next season.

The club said a successor would be appointed as soon as possible with German Thomas Tuchel, out of work since leaving Borussia Dortmund almost a year ago, installed as one of the early bookmakers’ favourites.