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.
— Mesut Ozil
I want to help people in need, but I don't want people to know I'm doing it.
I had long conversations with Wenger before I joined Real, and that's how I got to know about Arsenal and the way that they like to sign talented players who can move the ball well.
I'm so proud to play for a big club like Arsenal.
I simply love to live here. London is a world city. There is so much you can do. There are many different cultures here, and I just feel very, very comfortable.
As players, you can't decide who manages the club.
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.
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.
I used to wear the German shirt with such pride and excitement, but now I don't. I feel unwanted and think that what I have achieved since my international debut in 2009 has been forgotten.
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.
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 have played for Real Madrid, which is such a big club and where the pressure is so huge because you have to go and, really, win absolutely every game. There is no game where people don't expect you to win. So, having played there for three years, pressure is nothing that would scare me.
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.
My aim is helping kids. Kids are the future. I love children. I'm thinking of my own childhood. I know where I'm from. If I wanted something, I couldn't get it. Life wasn't easy.
I pray almost every day, and you can see that I pray on the pitch. I pray in the dressing room. That is just part of my life.
Anybody can miss a penalty.
I was never a guy who liked to be in the centre of attention.
Living in London is awesome.
I'm one of the best players in the world in that No.10 position. Fans, coaches, players, and everyone knows that my best position is playmaker.
People wrote so negatively about me, but generally, the people who are familiar with football know my strengths and abilities.
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've played for Real Madrid, where the pressure is so huge because you have to go and really win absolutely every game.
Of course, the best thing, if you play in the Premier League, you can always develop further as a player, and you are playing against the best players. You are also playing game after game all the time, two or three games a week.
I'm a person who prefers to play games rather than train.
I am happy to be playing in the Premier League because everyone knows it is the strongest league in the world. There are simply a lot of top teams.
I come from a background where you don't show off the good things you do. It's modesty.
I had a great manager in Jose Mourinho, who really helped me. He was always there when I needed him.
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.
I am very, very proud I am also Turkish and both of my parents are from Turkey. I was born in Germany and grew up there. By playing football, I learned my different cultures, and that is an advantage if you grow up as a person. You get a different view on certain things. I am very, very thankful I was able to pick the best from many cultures.
Everyone has a right to say what they want, but what they have to say doesn't interest me.
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.
What the manager says is what's important to me. What experts say doesn't interest me and never will. I know what I can do. I've not been playing at the top level for nothing. I've been successful.
For us, it wasn't important to have a big house, a few cars, always have the newest clothes. Solidarity as a family was important. We were there for each other and always will be.
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.
Of course the Premier League is the most difficult league in the world because it's so even. I think you can't really compare other leagues with the Premier League. In the Premier League, every team can beat every team, and in football, that's something where you can have surprises.
I love playing football. So I go out to play football, and I don't really feel pressure. Of course, there are some days when things just don't work out as well as they do on other days, but that doesn't have anything to do with pressure.
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.
