Mesut Ozil Retires: Ex-arsenal Star’s Unique Record That Will Be Hard to Defeat

• Mesut Ozil has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 34
• The former Arsenal star is one of the most talented footballers of his generation
• He is one of the most creative players and holds a unique record that will be hard to break

Mesut Ozil announced his retirement from professional football after enjoying a 17-year-long successful career in which he played for some of the best teams in the world.

The Turkish-German star was one of the most talented footballers of his generation and one of the most controversial.

He earned a reputation for his vision, passing, and creativity and is regarded by many as one of the last proper number 10s, a dying role in modern football.

He spent time playing in Germany, Spain, England and Turkey for top clubs, including Real Madrid and Arsenal.

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Ozil holds unique record

Ozil spent most of his career in England playing for Arsenal, having joined as a 23-year-old from Real Madrid and was part of the Gunners squad that won three consecutive FA Cup trophies between 2013-2017.

According to Opta Joe, in the 2015/16 Premier League season, he created 146 chances, the most since data collection began. Still, it was not enough to win Arsenal the league as they fell behind fairytale winners Leicester City.

The record stands till today, and the closest anyone has been to touching distance of it was Kevin De Bruyne in the 2019/20 season. The Belgian created 136 chances for teammates, just 10 short of the German's record.

Why Ozil retired from international duty

Creativity was not only his niche in football, but controversy was also another feature too. He has had many controversies at every level of his career, including Real Madrid, Arsenal, Fenerbahce and even the German national team.

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As reported by ESPN, the former Schalke star retired from the national team following Germany's group-stage elimination at the 2018 World Cup after alleging racism due to his Turkish roots.

''I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose,'' he said.

Ozil donates to earthquake victims

Turkey and some parts of Syria were hit by a series of earthquakes last month which killed over 1,500 people, including Ghanaian football star Christian Atsu.

The 34-year-old Ozil, a third-generation German of Turkish roots, donated relief materials to victims of the natural disaster and sent a heartfelt message to the country, as reported by Sports Brief.

He turned down playing for the country despite playing a friendly for them in 2006 as he was not looking to take up a Turkish passport.