In focus : Mesut Ozil

A German-born son of a Turkish immigrant, Mesut Ozil brings finesse and improvisation to the midfield of both club and country. His magical left-foot can open any door, though he can be inconsistent at times.

Ozil was born in the old Ruhr mining town of Gelsenkirchen and spent his formative years at leading local outfit Schalke. On making the first team there, he was described as 'the next big thing', but he eventually fell out with club management and moved on to Bremen in January 2008.

Starring in the Bundesliga and with the Germany Under-21 side saw him make the step up and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa ensured that he was placed among Europe's top young talents, with Real Madrid wasting little time in signing him ahead of the 2010-11 season.