Mesut Ozil announces shock retirement from football at 34

Mesut Ozil, the former Arsenal and Germany midfielder, has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 34.

Ozil, who won the World Cup with Germany in 2014, had been playing for Istanbul Basaksehir in Turkey but decided to retire mid-season after playing just 187 minutes of football in the 2022-23 season.

The midfielder had a controversial career, with his connection to Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan often drawing criticism.

Despite this, Ozil retires with an impressive record, including the joint-second-best creative season in Premier League history with 19 assists in 2015-16.

In a statement on Instagram, Ozil thanked his clubs, coaches, teammates, family, and fans for their support throughout his career and expressed excitement for the future with his wife and two daughters.