Mesut Ozil would be in Germany's Euro 2024 squad if he had been 'protected' more during his career, his estranged father claims - as he hits out at the advice the former Arsenal star received

Mesut Ozil announced his retirement from football in 2023 citing injury issuesBut his father believes Ozil would still be playing but for one decision he madeLISTEN to It’s All Kicking Off! EUROS DAILY: Will England ever get a better chance to win the Euros?

Mesut Ozil's father has insisted his son would still be playing football for Germany had he been more protected by his advisors off the pitch.

The former Arsenal star, who has repeatedly hit the headlines in recent months for his impressive physical transformation, hung up his boots in March last year aged 34.

Many of his former international teammates are part of Julian Nagelsmann's squad looking to secure European Championship glory on home soil this summer, with Germany set to take on Denmark on Saturday for a place in the quarter-finals.

During his international career, Ozil was often partnered alongside fellow Germany international of Turkish descent Ilkay Gundogan, and the pair came under heavy scrutiny in 2018 after they posed for a photo with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Ozil would retire from international football shortly after the incident, citing negative interactions with Reinhard Grindel, then president of the German FA.

Mesut Ozil's father has claimed his son would still be playing international football if not for bad advice he received during his career

Mustafa Ozil previously served as his son's agent before the former Arsenal midfielder replaced him

Mustafa claims his replacement engineered Mesut's controversial meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Meanwhile despite the fall out from the incident, Ilkay Gundogan has remained a mainstay with the national team, a position Mustafa believes his son would have trained with better guidance.

'If Mesut had been protected more, he would definitely still be at this European Championship. And with heart and soul.' Ozil told Sport Bild.

The elder Ozil had initially served as his son's manager, before Mesut opted to switch to Erkut Sogut in 2013.

To this day the pair reportedly have no real contact with one another.

In Mustafa's view, Sogut is to blame for his son's controversial decisions that he believes ultimately led to Ozil's decline on the pitch and subsequent retirement from football.

'Mesut has a big heart. You can take a kebab out of his hand - he wouldn't say anything.' Mustafa continued.

'[He] felt most comfortable when he was on the pitch in front of 50,000, 60,000 or more spectators and was able to play without worry.'

After Ozil chose to retire from international football Mustafa previously claimed that he believed his son had been 'taken advantage of'.

'Mesut was influenced by his environment. That wasn't good for him. You can't say that Germany is xenophobic, that the country where he was born wouldn't have given him a chance.

Ozil stepped away from international football shortly after, detailing his experiences of suffering racism - a decision Mustafa has previously suggested was also at the behest of his management

'Such statements do not come from him, that is not him. Honestly I have the feeling that Mesut was also taken advantage of.'

'I think he is being used to a certain extent. But you shouldn't read too much into it.

'Nevertheless, as a father, I wish that he would simply leave out social media messages about his origins, religion and politics. He's an athlete.'