Let me transport you back to the start of the 2013/14 Premier League season. Arsenal are clad in a yellow shirt with a blue collar and sleeve cuff, broken up by a small yellow pinstripe. The Gunners possess a new-look attack, thanks to the arrival of their record signing that summer.
Making his debut, on the left side of the field, stood a German midfielder of Turkish heritage with a notable parting in his hair. His name is Mesut Özil and it took him just eleven minutes to get what would become his customary assist.
The excitement around Özil’s £42.5million switch from the Spanish capital to North London was impalpable despite little known entities such as Gareth Bale and Neymar Jr also making high-profile moves at the same time. The announcement of his 5-year deal birthed the now iconic moment on the Sky Sports News coverage where Arsenal fans roared in celebration and mobbed the camera.
Özil had a knack for making the sport look effortless. A poster boy for a bygone era of traditional number 10’s, his game was full of flair, precision and extraterrestrial intelligence. Nothing embodied this more so than his almost telepathic connection with Alexis Sanchez, who arrived at the Emirates, the following summer. They combined for a total of 125 goals and assists during their time in red-and-white and will ultimately go down as one of the greatest duos in Premier League history.
A third-generation Turkish-German, he was born in Gelsenkirchen to second generation Turkish immigrant parents. He described himself as a ‘football freak’, growing up he’d play for five hours a day, donning a Zinedine Zidane shirt, aiming to replicate his style.
He would begin his youth career locally at Rot-Weiss Essen before making the move to German powerhouse Schalke 04, impressing at youth level before going on to play 39 games in the first team by the age of 19. Along with his distinct style of play, Özil became recognisable for his audacious mullet with blonde highlights – something he ditched as he began to mature both on and off the pitch.
However, it was his spectacular performances at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa that earned him a move to, arguably, football’s most historic club: Real Madrid.
An injury to legendary Brazilian midfielder Káká accelerated Özil’s development as he was thrust into the first team and became an instant hit, playing over 100 times for Los Blancos across a three year period.
Though style isn’t necessarily synonymous with the name ‘Mesut Özil’, he has forayed into the fashion world. In 2020, he launched his streetwear clothing brand ‘M10’, named after his initials and shirt number, which was particularly successful with the first drop selling out instantly
On the pitch, he was an innovator. Many children, and probably adults too, likely injured themselves attempting the ‘Özil bounce’ – an unorthodox finishing technique where he would drive the ball into the ground at short range in order for the ball to bounce back up and over the goalkeeper at an awkward height. The shot became somewhat of a trademark for him but was more effective than your average party-trick.
Despite his success, Özil never forgot his roots. In 2018, he retired from International football, citing the “racism and disrespect” he faced in his home country of Germany due to his Turkish heritage. “I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose,” he said. Similar sentiments were echoed by his former Real Madrid teammate and French international Karim Benzema who faced abuse due to his Algerian ancestry.
Like Benzema, Özil is a proud Muslim, a part of his identity he never hid from the media or fans. In 2019, he chose to speak out and condemn China’s persecution of the Uyghur population in the north-western region of Xinjiang.
Ozil wore his heart on his sleeve. A unique blend of composure and skill, paired with his innate ability to find his teammates, has left many to consider him one of the greatest midfielders of a generation. When you think of Mesut Özil, not only do you think of a simpler time, but equally of a pioneer who was never ashamed of who he was or where he came from, no matter what.
Teşekkürler, Mesut.
