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‘He was just unbelievable’… Kieran Gibbs says ‘amazing’ player Arsenal released was so unique
Kieran Gibbs has shared what his experience was like playing alongside Mesut Ozil during their time together at Arsenal.
Mesut Ozil is definitely one of the most intriguing players the Premier League has ever had. When it comes to talent, there were few better than the 35-year-old.
Ozil scored 44 goals and contributed 79 assists in 254 games in all competitions for the Gunners. He also won the FA Cup on four occasions. And yet, there seems to be a perception that the attacking midfielder never quite realised his full potential in the game.
Kieran Gibbs lauds Mesut Ozil
Certainly, many will be disappointed with how his time at Arsenal ended. He spent almost a year on the sidelines with Mikel Arteta not using him at all before his contract was ripped up in 2021.
In time, history will surely be a lot kinder to Ozil, and what he could do on a football pitch will be reflected upon a lot more.
Speaking on , Kieran Gibbs suggested that the World Cup winner was amongst the very best he got to share the pitch with.
“It was amazing playing with him. From the moment he arrived, his presence alone, you felt like a better player. You felt like a better player,” he said.
“He never panicked, never seemed distressed. He had such a unique way of playing the game. I actually fed him for his first assist against Sunderland away. And he was ill for two days prior, but Arsene put him in the squad, we didn’t know if he was going to play in the squad, Arsene put him in the starting lineup. And he came and he was just unbelievable.”
So many what if moments
It does feel as though there is so much more to learn about Ozil before anyone makes any conclusive judgements about whether he was misunderstood or simply did not have the desire to realise his potential.
You can definitely understand Gibbs’ comments. Even in some bleak years for Arsenal, Ozil produced some moments of sheer magic that few others in the game would have been capable of. And he would have given a lot of Arsenal fans some brilliant moments.
For many however, he had the capabilities to give the Arsenal supporters so many more.