Mesut Ozil's body transformation since retiring from football | OneFootball

Highlights

Former Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has undergone a seriously impressive body transformation since retiring from football. The former German international has been videoed putting in work in the gym and it all looks to be paying off.

Having been massively successful at club and international level, Ozil decided to call time on his footballing career in March this year while at Istanbul Basaksehir. That has not stopped him from pursuing an active lifestyle, however, and he has teamed up with personal trainer Alper Aksac to try and stay fit while putting on some muscle mass.

Ozil, while always being in good shape throughout his career, was never as bulky as some of the other players in the Premier League or in La Liga. While sometimes muscled off the ball, he relied on his quick feet and exceptional passing to get him out of trouble, and was even excluded from the squad while at Fenerbahce after being deemed 'physcially incompetant' and unable to handle the pace of the Turkish Super Lig.

Ozil is now looking jacked

He's packed on a serious amount of muscle recently

However, there aren't many who would label him unfit now, considering the shape he is in six months after retiring. His personal trainer Aksac has regularly uploaded videos of Ozil training in the gym to his Instagram page, and the difference between what he first looked like and what he looks like now is astounding.

Early shots of the midfield maestro in the gym show him looking like he did during his playing days. But it didn't take long for him to start putting on mass. This image back in July shows him looking absolutely shredded, and making fine progress after a matter of weeks.

Since then, the 35-year-old looks to have consistently worked with Aksac to build up his physique. Numerous videos on Instagram show him doing a mix of exercises, and Ozil seems to be reaping the benefits months down the line. In one of the newest videos, he can be seen doing a mix of arm exercises, and he really has put on some mass. His arms in particular look much bigger than when he first started training, with him now ripped and also jacked.

Why Ozil retired from football

Midfielder was plagued by injuries late in his career

Going off his current physique and still only 35, many might think that Ozil could still do a job for a team today. Having excelled for many years in the Arsenal engine room, however, the playmaker fell out of favour with Mikel Arteta, leaving the club in January 2021 for Turkish side Fenerbahce.

He left the Turkish giants in July 2022, signing for Basaksehir. But he was plagued by injuries during his one year at the club, playing just seven games in total for what would be the last side of his career. With injuries taking their toll, he decided to hang up his boots, believing that it had become "more and more clear" that it was time for him to quit football.

One of the greatest passers the Premier League has ever seen, the now-hench midfielder remains one of the finest playmakers of the 21st century.