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Mesut Ozil has credited Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal fans after bouncing back from what he described as "the toughest year" of his career.
Ozil was part of Germany's World Cup-winning squad in 2014 but he struggled for form and fitness throughout much of the year, and in October he suffered a knee ligament tear that ruled him out until January.
"It was a very long season," the former Real Madrid star told kicker. "I actually think that it's been the toughest year of my entire career.
"For the first time I had to cope with a severe injury, and I reckon this injury was a consequence of playing a lot of games without a real break for several years. Those three months from October to January were a really tough time for me. I am a player who needs the ball, even when I'm on holiday."
The 26-year-old, a €50 million signing from Real Madrid in 2013, returned to produce some of his finest performances since arriving at the club as Arsenal recovered from a poor start to the season to secure automatic qualification for the Champions League and win the FA Cup.
"I can be very satisfied with the second half of the season," Ozil said. "You were able to see just how much fun I have playing football, and how much I missed the game.Click & Close Ads
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"When you finish the season by lifting the FA Cup, it has naturally been a good year. Before I signed for Arsenal, they had not won a trophy in 10 years, and I was lucky enough to win two consecutive cups. That makes me proud and extremely happy."
He had made his return from injury in a 3-0 victory over Stoke on Jan. 11 that saw Arsenal move back up to fifth in the table, and they went on to win 12 of the 17 league games that followed.
"The home game against Stoke was my moment of the season," he said. "The way the fans celebrated me when I came off the bench gave me an extra push. I realised that, whatever happens, the club and the fans support me.Ozil said after leaving Madrid that he had made the decision to leave because he felt the Spanish club lacked trust in him, but he said he has never doubted the Arsenal manager's faith.
"When I feel the trust of the coach, I definitely have more confidence, and I always felt Arsene Wenger's trust," he said.Asked about his future role at Arsenal, Ozil said that Wenger is aware that his favourite position is in central attacking midfield and "that we are the most successful as a team" when he plays that role.
"We have not discussed it, but we played very good second half of the season with that formation," he added.
He said that the 2014-15 campaign had been a success "overall" but hopes for more next season, including going beyond the Champions League's round-of-16 for the first time since 2009-10.
"I am convinced that, should all players be in good health next season, we have the potential to win the Premier League and also make a deep run in Champions League," he said.Click & Close Ads
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Sunday, June 21, 2015
