Arsenal legend Robert Pires has revealed that Mesut Özil is one of the best players he was ever seen.
“I train with him regularly and I can tell you that he is one of the best players I have seen,” Pires was quoted as saying on the official Arsenal website.
Pires also stated that Özil has been unfairly criticised in the press since his arrival at Arsenal and that he deserves more respect.
“Too many people have criticised him this season and overall since he arrived at Arsenal,” he added.
It is not the first time Özil has been rated among the best in world football. Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho described the 26-year-old as being the greatest No 10 in the world.
“Ozil is unique, there is no copy of him, not even a bad one,” Mourinho was quoted as saying by ESPN.
“He is the best No. 10 in the world. He made things easier for me and his team-mates with his vision of the game and the decisions that he made.
The World Cup winner was selected as the best performing attacking midfielder in Europe in 2015 according to the CIES Football Observatory’s latest performance rankings.
Özil has been directly involved in seven goals in his last eight league games for the Gunners, scoring three and assisting in four.
The 26-year-old has five goals and seven assists in all competitions for Arsenal this season.
