Former Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has shown his full support to Gunners youngster Bukayo Saka. The former German international believes that the 19-year-old winger will be able to take the Premier League by storm overcoming all the racist abuse that he received on the internet after missing the penultimate penalty against Italy in the Euros 2020 final.
Ozil feels Saka will put all of that meaningless hatred behind and forge a great carer at the Emirates. The youngster had a tremendous campaign at the Euros where he was superb whenever he turned up for the Three Lions. However, his endnote was not that good as he along with Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho missed consecutive three penalties. While Rashford scuffed it wide, Saka’s and Sancho’s spot kicks were calmly kept out by Italian custodian Gianluigi Donnarumma as he helped the Azzurri to lift their second European Championship.
But the loss made English fans go berserk as all the three players who missed the spot kicks have been subject to a lot of racist abuse. They have also received a lot of support from different parts of the world and Ozil feels that the youngster will deal with the pressure with relative ease.
The current Fenerbahce midfielder spoke to Sky Germany regarding his former Gunners teammate as he sympathized with Saka and showed his support. He told Sky Sports, “I felt very much for Bukayo. I know from my own experience how it feels to miss a penalty,” Ozil said. “In a final, as the last one, to take on the responsibility of an entire nation as a young player – respect. Not many players would dare to do that. There will always be people who racially abuse and scapegoat people of different backgrounds and skin colour when they lose.”
The former Arsenal man knows Saka really well and revealed that he is a very modest young player. He added, “Bukayo is a modest young player. I have gotten to know him as a very determined young man who works very hard for his dream and does everything he can to achieve it.”
Lastly, he opined how Saka has a great talent which is not found in every footballer of his age. He feels that if the England star remains modest then he will have a big future.
“Bukayo is blessed with a talent that not many have. If he remains as humble and determined as he already is, I am 100 per cent convinced that he has a great future ahead of him and can become a great player.”
