Cristiano Ronaldo, Mesut Ozil and more: Ex-Arsenal star Granit Xhaka builds his perfect footballer
Former Arsenal star Granit Xhaka chose Cristiano Ronaldo's right foot and Mesut Ozil's left foot when building his perfect footballer.
Xhaka was given the task of putting together his ideal footballer, including a player's feet, pace, and football IQ. He gave some interesting responses to the club's official X account, including that of Ronaldo and some of his past and current teammates.
The Bayer Leverkusen midfielder chose Ronaldo's right foot and with good reason. The Al-Nassr superstar has torn defenses apart and become the greatest goalscorer in history, mostly through that foot.
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 265 of his 735 club goals with his right foot (excluding penalties and set pieces). He is the record goalscorer in both club and international football, the perfect attacking outlet.
Meanwhile, Xhaka opted to go with Ozil's left foot and that will likely stem from the German's incredible creativity. The former Arsenal playmaker posted 222 assists in 645 games during his career, including 79 in 254 games for the Gunners.
Xhaka selected another former Arsenal teammate for strength as he chose David Luiz. The Brazilian was colossal at the back during his time in the Premier League, a real handle for defenders with his height and power.
The Switzerland captain chose his Leverkusen teammate Jeremie Frimpong for pace. The Dutch right-back has blistering speed that has tormented Bundesliga defenses.
Finally, Xhaka's Switzerland teammate Manuel Akanji was selected for his football IQ, which is an interesting selection. The Manchester City defender has displayed brilliant defensive abilities at the Etihad, coupled with reading the game well and he fits Pep Guardiola's vision of an ideal center-back.
Former Arsenal star Ozil hailed Cristiano Ronaldo's work ethic in becoming one of the all-time greats
Ozil played with Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013, and the duo enjoyed much success. They won the La Liga title, Copa del Rey, and the Supercopa de Espana.
The German spent much of his time at the Santiago Bernabeu providing Ronaldo with assists. He did so on 32 occasions, with the pair forging a brilliant partnership during their time together.
However, Cristiano Ronaldo's constant goal threat wasn't the only trait that impressed Ozil. He spoke about the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's dedication to being the best back in 2017 (via The Express):
"You want to be successful, you want to bring your best and what fascinated me about him was how professional he was. He’d be the first in the dressing room and the last to leave."
Ozil added:
"He’s a grounded guy who is very ambitious, who always gives his best for himself and for the team. What I admired about him was how hungry for success he is."
Ozil left Madrid for Arsenal in 2013 and went on to become a fan favorite at the Emirates. But, Ronaldo continued to dominate European football at the Bernabeu, winning four UEFA Champions Leagues, among other major trophies. He also became the club's all-time top goalscorer with 450 goals in 438 games.