Ozil prays in Turkish during anthem

Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has revealed in his autobiography that he prays in Turkish on the pitch during the German national anthem before international matches.

"Just before kick-off, I pray. It's become a tradition of mine. It's always the same text. I pray in Turkish," he writes in his autobiography 'Die Magie des Spiels' (The Magic of the Game), released on March 16 in German.

"I learnt these prayers as a child from my parents," he added.

The 28-year-old Gunners star, a devout Muslim, was born in Gelsenkirchen and his parents are Turkish immigrants.