Speaking on Arsenal’s Twitch channel, Ainsley Maitland-Niles has named Mesut Ozil as the best footballer he’s ever played alongside.
The German spent seven and a half years at Arsenal before being released and joining Fenerbahce back in January, but despite the disappointing end to Ozil’s time at the Emirates, Maitland-Niles maintains that he’s still the best player he’s ever worked with.
What’s been said?
Maitland-Niles was taking part in a Q&A session.
“Best player you’ve ever played with?” The host asked.
“Best player I’ve ever played with? Mesut Ozil. With him, he was so timed and calculated. Everything he does has a purpose and if you’re not on his team you can’t get near him. I’ve never seen a guy like that who plays in slow motion, but he always has time on the ball – It doesn’t make sense,” Maitland-Niles replied.
Legacy
Regardless of what happened towards the end of Ozil’s Arsenal career, he has left a huge legacy at the Emirates Stadium.
He was key in ending the Gunners’ long trophy drought back in 2014, and he came so close to breaking the Premier League assist record a couple of years after that.
Ozil was a joy to watch when he was at his brilliant best, and as Maitland-Niles says, some of the things he used to do on the pitch were almost impossible to comprehend.
The German may no longer be at Arsenal, but it seems as though he’s still fondly remembered by his ex-teammates in north London.
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