German international Mesut Özil, the current player of Turkey’s Basaksehir and a former Real Madrid and Arsenal playmaker, has announced his final retirement from football at the age of 34.
And through a lengthy message via his official social media account, the 2014 World Cup winner confirmed that he had decided to retire from football after 17 years.
Ozil wrote: “Hello everyone, after careful consideration, I will announce my immediate retirement from professional football.”
He added: “I have been privileged to be a professional footballer for almost 17 years and feel incredibly grateful for this opportunity, but in recent weeks and months, after some injuries, it has become more and more obvious that the time has come. leave the football scene.”
Thank you ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Aqr4pB5SI2
— Mesut Ozil (@ M10) March 22, 2023
And he continued: “It was a wonderful journey full of unforgettable moments and emotions and I would like to thank the clubs I played for, Schalke 04, Werder Bremen, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Fenerbahce, Basaksehir and the coaches who supported me. in addition to my colleagues who have become friends.”
He added, “I have a special thanks to my family and close friends who have been a part of my journey since day one and have given me so much love and support through both good times and bad.”
He continued, “Thank you to all my fans who have shown me so much love, regardless of the circumstances and regardless of the club I represented.”
He concluded: “Now I am looking forward to everything that lies ahead of me, along with my beautiful wife Amin and my two beautiful daughters, Ida and Ella, but you can be sure that you will hear from me from time to time about my social networks. See you soon”.
Özil made 92 appearances for Germany, scoring 23 goals.
Source: twitter/M10