Joe Willock delivers heartfelt message to Mesut Ozil after retirement announcement

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Newcastle United star Joe Willock has paid tribute to Mesut Ozil after the midfielder announced his retirement from professional football.

Ozil confirmed via his official Instagram account that he will be hanging up his boots immediately, which prompted a reply from Newcastle‘s midfield superstar Willock.

The pair played together at Arsenal, and the 23-year-old has delivered a heartfelt message to Ozil following the news that he has called time on his career.

Joe Willock’s message to Mesut Ozil

The former Arsenal playmaker posted a lengthy statement on his official Instagram account. He thanked the clubs he represented and the teammates he played alongside, before expressing his delight at spending his future alongside his wife and two daughters.

The statement received a plethora of replies, with fans and players taking the chance to wish Ozil a happy retirement. The post already has more than 1,000,000 likes, as well as more than 40,000 comments.

One of them is from Willock, who wrote: “Thank you for everything Mesut. Legend.”

Before making the move to Newcastle, Willock played alongside Ozil at Arsenal. The World Cup winner clearly thought very highly of Willock, and tipped him to become a ‘big player‘ back in 2019.

Fast forward four years and the 23-year-old is now shining in a Newcastle team that is challenging for a place in the Champions League. Willock has been a crucial player, and is enjoying a rich vein of form at the moment.

The £25million man produced a wonderful assist to setup Miguel Almiron’s recent winner against Wolves, with a pass that was straight out of Ozil’s playbook.

An incredible career comes to an end

At 34-years-old, Ozil has officially retired, and what a career he had. He won the World Cup with Germany, the German Cup with Werder Bremen, La Liga and a Copa Del Rey with Real Madrid and four FA Cups at Arsenal.

He was an outrageously gifted playmaker, and it was a real joy to watch him in the Premier League – particularly when Arsene Wenger was in charge at the Emirates Stadium.

Ozil had a wonderful record against Newcastle, making six appearances against the Magpies during his time in England. He won every game, scoring four goals and providing one assist.