Mesut Ozil

“The Premier League is the best league in the world; it's so strong. The smaller teams love to try their chances against the big ones, and this is why the game goes back and forth. That can be strenuous, tough on you and your body, but I really love it.”

“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.”

“I am very happy that I have great fans. What I can tell them is they must work on themselves; they should just have fun at what they do. I wish them well with everything, and if they really enjoy what they do, then I think they can go a long way. I will be rooting for them to achieve that.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

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

“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.”

“As players, you can't decide who manages the club.”

“I've played for Real Madrid, where the pressure is so huge because you have to go and really win absolutely every game.”

“Anybody can miss a penalty.”

“I was voted three times Germany's national player of the year, and that is decided by the fans. That shows the fans are there for me and believe in me.”

“Arsenal belong as one of the best clubs in the world, and London is a great place to be, a great city to live in.”

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

“When I look into the future and where I'd like to live, I'll say Germany because I grew up there and like the discipline the people have. But my background is from Zonguldak in Turkey. I'm there a lot.”

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

“I'm a role model as a footballer and not as a politician. I want to see myself as a footballer. People respect me for my performances. That's why they support me, and I'm very thankful for that. But I'm not a politician.”