Mesut Ozil: Former Arsenal, Real Madrid and Germany star announces retirement from football

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Former Real Madrid and Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil announced his retirement from football on Wednesday (March 22).

Ozil, who was one of the generational talents of football, has decided to hang his boots at the age of 34.

The midfielder wrote a heartfelt message on his social media and announced it was becoming "more and more clear that it's time to leave the big stage of football".

Ozil's statement said, "After thoughtful consideration, I'm announcing my immediate retirement from professional football.

"I've had the privilege to be a professional football player for almost 17 years now and I feel incredibly thankful for the opportunity. But in recent weeks and months, having also suffered some injuries, it's become more and more clear that it's time to leave the big stage of football.

"It has been an amazing journey filled with unforgettable moments and emotions. I want to thank my clubs - Schalke, Werder Bremen, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Fenerbahce and Basaksehir - and the coaches who supported me, plus team-mates who have become friends."

Mesut Ozil career at a glance

Ozil started his career with German club Schalke, and followed that with another German club Werder Bremen. His first big move came in 2010 when Ozil joined Real Madrid. At the Spanish capital, Ozil played 159 times and won the La Liga title.

The Germany international then joined English Premier League giants Arsenal in 2013, becoming the record transfer of the English club at that time. He had some outstanding seasons at Arsenal and helped the club to win 3 FA Cup titles during his seven-and-a-half-year stay at North London. The 'Wizard', as he was often named by the Arsenal supporters, played 254 matches for the Gunners and scored 44 goals across all competitions.

He has also played 92 times for Germany at the senior level, scoring 23 goals. The midfielder was part of Germany's World Cup winning squad in 2014, and took an international retirement after the 2018 World Cup fiasco where Die Mannschaft were knocked out from the first round.

Ozil, after his life at Arsenal, played for his boyhood club Fenerbahce in Turkey where he had a disrupted time due to fitness issues and joined Istanbul Basaksehir at the start of this season.

Mesut Ozil Last Match

Ozil played his last match on February 2 this year as he played 45 minutes in Istanbul basaksehir's 1-0 loss against Kayserispor.