Özil was born on 15 October 1988 in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, as a son of Turkish immigrants. His grandfather moved as a Gastarbeiter from Zonguldak, … See more

Style of play
A quick, agile, creative and technical player, with good dribbling skills, Özil was a versatile midfielder, who excelled in an advanced playmaking role, as a winger on either flank, or as an attacking midfielder through the centre … See more

Werder Bremen
• DFB-Pokal: 2008–09; runner-up: 2009–10
• UEFA Cup runner-up: 2008–09
Real Madrid See more

Schalke 04
In 2005, Özil moved to the youth system of Schalke 04. He was deployed a midfielder and wore 17 as his squad number, after starting as a playmaker and central attacking midfielder in the place of the suspended See more

Eligible to play for either Germany or Turkey, after long consideration, Özil chose to play for his country of birth, Germany. In September 2006, he was called up for the Germany under-17 team. He was a member of the German under-21 team See more

Personal life
Özil is a third-generation Turkish-German, who, in reference to his game, concludes, "My technique and feeling for the ball is the Turkish side to … See more