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.