5 players who deserve more respect

#3 Mesut Ozil

Ozil's best time was under José Mourinho's guidance at Real Madrid

Mesut Ozil is one of the most divisive names in world football. Some refer to him as a genius who still is among the best players in the world, while others believe that his best days are far behind him.

Ozil was the best attacking midfielder in the world during his time at Real Madrid, in between 2010 and 2013.

He was the top assist-provider in the world during that period, and the best example of him working at the peak of his powers was perhaps his delivery to Cristiano Ronaldo at the Camp Nou back in 2012, when the Portuguese international dribbled past Victor Valdés to score the goal, which would eventually secure the La Liga title for the Madrid-based club.

Ozil is a world champion with Germany's national team. Who can forget his contribution to helping them secure the fourth star? He is still considered a fundamental part of Joachim Low's plans for Russia, in 2018.

The downfall of the German maestro probably began in his last year in Spain, in a season where the whole team under-performed, which resulted in the departure of José Mourinho from the club.

His move to Arsenal is seen as successful on an individual level, but many still criticize him for allegedly not being at his best in the most decisive games and not guiding the Gunners to major trophies.

Despite all that, it should never be forgotten that Ozil once was the best player in the world in his position and probably still is among the best, despite not proving it on a consistent basis at Arsenal. Russia 2018 will probably be an indicator if he could still thrive in a more organized system.