Mesut Ozil wants to win the Ballon d’Or in the future and feels he is at the right club and in the right country to achieve that personal accolade.
The World Cup winner was one of Germany’s most important players in the summer and it clearly had a toll on his return to north London, suffering a serious knee injury in the 2-0 loss to Chelsea in October. As a result he has featured in just 14 Premier League games so far but has been back to best since the turn of the year and feels he can only get stronger.
The attacking midfielder has drawn plenty of criticism from half witted pundits and even Arsenal fans who feel his work ethic and ‘body language’ do not bode well for his inclusion in the starting XI. On the contrary, Ozil often covers the most ground in an Arsenal shirt and has racked up a respectable five league assists and three goals to his name.
The Gunners record signing spoke of his desire to win the Ballon d’Or and feels we will see the best of him in coming years. He was quoted by as saying:
“Should I continue to improve myself and stay healthy, I want to get my hands on the Ballon d’Or in the upcoming years,” Ozil Sport Bild. “I am convinced that it can work out. I am headed in the right direction.
“I am a world champion and play at a top club in the Premier League. It’s far more physical here [England] than in Spain or in the Bundesliga. I constantly have bruises, but it only makes me stronger, and physically I feel better than ever before.”
For me it’s what the stats don’t necessarily reveal – his ability to pick a pass from nothing and his movement on and off the ball – that sets Ozil apart. This has never been more apparent in an Arsenal shirt than in the 2-0 win over Monaco where he completely dissected the French outfit’s midfield with constant precise passes up to Olivier Giroud that opened up our attack.
For that ability alone he’s worth £42.5m but to reach the heights of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, Ozil needs to step it up to an entirely different level in his all round play aswell as add more goals to his game. He needs to be far more consistent and unfortunately is still some distance from the worlds elite attackers.
But if he continues to grow in his role at Arsenal and be surrounded by world class players, the Germany midfielder is at the right club to emulate himself to superstar status once more.
Remember, this a player who is not necessarily an automatic starter in his favoured No10 role for club and country at present, the competition will force him to develop further, however.
You have to admire his determination and desire to become the best, especially from such a team player. Good on you, Mesut.
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