I am very, very proud I am also Turkish and both of my parents are from Turkey. I was born in Germany and grew up there. By playing football, I learned my different cultures, and that is an advantage if you grow up as a person. You get a different view on certain things. I am very, very thankful I was able to pick the best from many cultures.

Mesut Ozil

I am the sort of player that likes to create goals. I think a lot of my team-mates know me as a player who is not selfish.

Mesut Ozil

I come from a background where you don't show off the good things you do. It's modesty.

Mesut Ozil

Things I didn't have in the past I try to give to kids. I know how it feels not to have things. We were poor, but we had enough food to eat. It was a big family, four kids, and it was not like you could just go and buy something. But we had the essentials, the food.

Mesut Ozil

I pray almost every day, and you can see that I pray on the pitch. I pray in the dressing room. That is just part of my life.

Mesut Ozil

It makes me very happy when I create goals or score goals myself, but the most important thing is that the team reaches its goal and plays positive football.

Mesut Ozil

Everyone has a right to say what they want, but what they have to say doesn't interest me.

Mesut Ozil

My aim is helping kids. Kids are the future. I love children. I'm thinking of my own childhood. I know where I'm from. If I wanted something, I couldn't get it. Life wasn't easy.

Mesut Ozil

I want to help people in need, but I don't want people to know I'm doing it.

Mesut Ozil

I love playing football. So I go out to play football, and I don't really feel pressure. Of course, there are some days when things just don't work out as well as they do on other days, but that doesn't have anything to do with pressure.

Mesut Ozil

I knew before I came to Arsenal what kind of players were here. And of course, in training, you can see how many good players are here; the most important thing is that we work well as a team - that's the most important thing.

Mesut Ozil

For us, it wasn't important to have a big house, a few cars, always have the newest clothes. Solidarity as a family was important. We were there for each other and always will be.

Mesut Ozil

I have played for Real Madrid, which is such a big club and where the pressure is so huge because you have to go and, really, win absolutely every game. There is no game where people don't expect you to win. So, having played there for three years, pressure is nothing that would scare me.

Mesut Ozil

I was never a guy who liked to be in the centre of attention.

Mesut Ozil

I'm one of the best players in the world in that No.10 position. Fans, coaches, players, and everyone knows that my best position is playmaker.

Mesut Ozil

I had a great manager in Jose Mourinho, who really helped me. He was always there when I needed him.

Mesut Ozil

I used to wear the German shirt with such pride and excitement, but now I don't. I feel unwanted and think that what I have achieved since my international debut in 2009 has been forgotten.

Mesut Ozil

People wrote so negatively about me, but generally, the people who are familiar with football know my strengths and abilities.

Mesut Ozil

I'm third generation. I was born in Germany, grew up in Germany, and many of my friends are German. I love playing for Germany. I'm proud I can play for the national team.

Mesut Ozil

Anybody can miss a penalty.

Mesut Ozil

I simply love to live here. London is a world city. There is so much you can do. There are many different cultures here, and I just feel very, very comfortable.

Mesut Ozil