Mesut Ozil has confirmed he has retired from football at the age of 34 with immediate effect.
The former Arsenal midfielder and Germany international had been playing for Turkish top flight side Istanbul Basaksehir since joining in the summer but has only made eight appearances for the club following injury problems.
Back issues have largely caused the the playmaker to feature in only 187 minutes of football this term having moved from Fenerbahce following 18 months at the club.
Ozil revealed the news on Instagram in a statement reading: 'Hello everyone, After thoughtful consideration, l'm announcing my immediate retirement from professional football.