If footballers were Star Wars characters

Star Wars hysteria is sweeping the globe once again with the release of Star Wars: Episode VII and, so far, the response to the latest masterpiece from JJ Abrams has been pretty positive across mainstream media. But try not to get too much of a “bad feeling about this” because this is a spoiler-free slideshow.Imagine a galaxy far, far away where footballers could swap places with some of the most well-known characters in the Lucasfilm empire. Now, how epic would that be?What better way for fans of football and geeky science fiction flicks to get ready for the launch of the new film than to have a read through our unique imagining of exactly that. Excited to find out who will make the cut and under what guise? Scroll on down to find out, and remember to sound off in the comments section with your own alternative imaginings.May the force be with you! 

#1 Mesut Ozil (R2-D2)

Assisting Luke Skywalker, Anakin, Padme Amidala and many others are not undertakings to be entered into lightly. But R2-D2 is arguably one of the bravest and most supportive chunks of metal in the entire Star Wars universe, so it’s no wonder he is loved by so many fans.

Be honest, you’d struggle to name a footballer better at assisting than Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil which is why he is the beautiful game’s best version of an astromech droid, even though he bears an even closer physical resemblance to Admiral Ackbar (but don’t tell him we said that). Plus, the German international is as synonymous with the beautiful game as R2-D2 is with the seven-film George Lucas legacy.

Currently well on his way to becoming the player with the most assists in a single Premier League season (13 so far), he is sneaking up on Thierry Henry’s formidable record (20 in a season). What’s more, he might even get a Premier League medal for his efforts.