35. Real Madrid and Germany attacking midfielder Mesut Ozil
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The phenomenally gifted Mesut Ozil is a joy to watch, having established himself as one of the best attacking players in the world in recent years since his rise at Werder Bremen, the German national team and then his big move to Real Madrid.
Still only 24, he has 46 caps to his name since making his debut in 2009 at the age of 20, and it was at the 2010 World Cup that he really caught the eye of the world’s biggest clubs with some superb displays for Joachim Loew’s side as they reached the semi-finals of the tournament.
However, he had already made himself known to Bundesliga fans with his displays for Werder Bremen, as his introduction to the team helped them climb from mid-table to title challengers, finishing third in 2009/10 with Ozil contributing 9 goals and 17 assists for the team.
His form saw him linked with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Barcelona, but in the end it was Real Madrid that captured him for what now looks a bargain at around £13million. Since wearing the famous white shirt at the Bernabeu, his reputation has only improved further, as he has shown himself worthy of playing alongside the best and biggest names in world football.
Ozil has become known for his excellent partnership with Real star Cristiano Ronaldo, being the main provider of the Portuguese star’s numerous goals, and he famously set up his team-mate with an excellent through-ball as Real won 2-1 against Barcelona at the Nou Camp last season to all but seal the La Liga title.
And although Real’s form has dropped this year, Ozil remains one of the best individual players in Spain, scoring 10 goals and providing 17 assists in all competitions, falling behind only to Barca’s Andres Iniesta in the league’s assist charts.
Ozil is perhaps not known for being a regular goal-scorer, but the goals he does score are usually of exceptional quality, particularly his memorable half-volley against Ghana in the 2010 World Cup, which was undoubtedly one of the goals of the tournament. In general, everything he does in his play is highly effective and influential on the rest of his team-mates, whether he’s playing centrally, wide left or wide right.
The Turkish-born German international is part of this exceptional generation of talented young players coming through in Germany, and the prospect of him linking up with the likes of Mario Goetze, Marco Reus, Andre Schurrle and others at next summer’s World Cup will make them one of the favourites for the tournament for sure. And despite the immense competition for an attacking midfield spot in Germany’s squad, Ozil’s place is surely guaranteed as he is regarded by many as being the best of the lot.