Former Arsenal star Mesut Ozil released a brilliant video yesterday of the best moments of his incredible career over the better part of the last two decades.
The German announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 34 this week. After a difficult few years with issues on and off the pitch, he decided to call it a day.
Ozil has received a ton of love from Arsenal fans and former teammates over the last two days and rightly so. The video he posted yesterday shows just how great a player he really was.
Why Pele Is Overrated.
Mesut Ozil posts nostalgic video featuring Arsenal after retirement
Ozil made his senior professional debut all the way back in 2006, for Schalke. He moved to Werder Bremen just 18 months later and became an absolute star there.
The German made a fantastic name for himself at Bremen and became a regular in the national team too. His performances in the 2010 World Cup caught everyone’s eye, and Real Madrid snapped him up.
Ozil became one of the best playmakers in world football at the Santiago Bernabeu. He was absolutely incredible in Madrid, but Carlo Ancelotti’s arrival there opened the door for Arsenal to sign him. Arsene Wenger secured a deal to bring him to North London, and he became our first big-name signing in the Emirates era.
The playmaker spent seven-and-a-half years at Arsenal and gave us a lot of joy. His vision, class and silk made him one of the best players to grace the Emirates, and although things ended badly, the happiness he gave us will stay in our memories forever.
After the Gunners, Ozil played for Turkish sides Fenerbahce and Istanbul Basaksehir before announcing his retirement this week. To look back on his fantastic career, he posted a video on Instagram yesterday, and we’re sure that will make you smile, especially the Arsenal bits.
Ozil’s stats for Arsenal
In his seven-and-a-half years as an Arsenal player, Ozil played 254 games for us, scored 44 goals and provided 79 assists in all competitions.
He became the only player in history to have been the top assist provider in the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, Champions League, Europa League, Euros and World Cup.
The German still holds the record for most chances created in a single Premier League game (12) and a single Premier League season (146), which is just extraordinary considering he hasn’t played in England for over two years.
Ozil’s career speaks for itself, but it has to be said he was one of the most underrated and underappreciated footballers of our generation. He was what you call today a generational talent, and looking back at his career now will make you understand that much better.
