Keen students of Germany's Bundesliga would have been aware of Mesut Ozil's vast potential long before his eye-catching World Cup performances.
But Ozil nonetheless came of age on the international scene with some stellar displays for Die Mannschaft (The Team), notably against Australia, England and Argentina as Germany reached the semi-finals.
Ozil is a rare commodity in world soccer, a player capable of changing a game from his role behind the strikers or in a wider position. Comparisons with Lionel Messi may be extreme, but Ozil is one of the few players in the game who can unlock a defense on a consistent basis.
In August 2010 he joined Real Madrid from Werder Bremen in one of the summer’s most eye-catching transfer deals, providing 17 Liga assists and helping the Merengues win the Copa del Rey in his first season at the club.
Quick Facts:
- Name: Mesut Ozil
- Nationality: German/Turkish
- Date and Place of Birth: October 15, 1988 in Gelsenkirchen, West Germany
- Position: Playmaker
- Current Club: Real Madrid (La Liga)
- Previous Clubs: Schalke (2006-2008), Werder Bremen (2008-2010)
- International Career: 2009 to present
Early Years:
Ozil, a third-generation member of the Kurdish community in Germany, played for a number of different clubs as a youth, including five years with Rot-Weiss Essen.
In 2005 he moved into Schalke's youth system. His first-team appearances were initially restricted to the German Cup, but after he broke into the starting line-up, Ozil helped Schalke to a second place finish in the 2006-07 Bundesliga season.
He gained a reputation as something of a brat, who played only for himself and off the pitch, the playmaker's relationship with the club soured when he refused to sign a new contract. The Gelsenkirchen outfit dropped Ozil but that did not have the desired affect in making him sign and after 37 appearances, he was on his way to Werder Bremen in January 2008.
Big in Bremen:
Ozil was to finish as a runner-up in the Bundesliga for a second straight season as Bremen ended the campaign behind Bayern Munich.
He helped the club win the German Cup in 2008-09, scoring the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in Berlin’s Olympiastadion. He was prominent again the following season, scoring nine goals in the Bundesliga, confirming his status as one of the league's marquee players.
Ozil became known at Bremen as "der Neue Diego" because of his similar characteristics to the Brazilian midfielder Diego who performed with extinction for the club before leaving for Juventus in 2009.
International Career:
Despite being the son of third generation Turkish immigrants, Ozil pledged his international future to Germany at an early age.
He was instrumental in the under-21s' European Championship win in 2009, scoring a goal and providing two assists in the final against England, winning the man of the match award in the process.
Ozil had already made his senior international debut by this time, playing in a February 2009 friendly against Norway. He scored his first goal against South Africa later in the year, but it was a series of inspired World Cup displays that saw his star rise so dramatically and prompted Real Madrid to make their move.
