Former Arsenal star Mesut Ozil has announced his retirement from professional football, calling time on an 18-year career at the top of the game. The German playmaker made his name while at Real Madrid before making the £42.5million switch to the Emirates Stadium in 2013.
The stay in north London lasted eight years and helped guide the side to four FA Cups before leaving the club for Fenerbache in 2021. He struggled in his time in Turkey, hampered by injuries as he switched to Istanbul Basaksehir, where he ended up finishing his career on Wednesday.
Ozil released a statement on the decision, thanking all of his former sides and the role they played in the time he enjoyed playing football. Plenty of messages from former stars and teammates have come flooding in for the 34-year-old, including some from familiar names.
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One of which was Cesc Fabregas, who could have rejoined the Gunners in 2014, but didn't due to the position that Ozil played in when he was with the squad. The Spaniard wrote on Twitter: "Thank you for making this beautiful game more special. Good luck for the future."
Thank you pic.twitter.com/Aqr4pB5SI2
— Mesut Özil (@M10)
There have been many glowing reviews of the playmaker from his time in football, but few may live up to that of Bukayo Saka's claims on Football Focus. When the Hale End academy star was asked who impressed him the most when moving to the first-team, he said: "I think I would probably say Mesut Ozil.
"He plays in his own world. Some of the things he does and you look at him, just wow."
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