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We have a bad habit in England of knocking skilful, prodigiously talented players.

Perhaps we don’t appreciate them in the same way that other countries do, like in Spain, Italy, Germany or France. Maybe our systems and tactics don’t always suit.

There is still this notion that if they don’t look as if they are giving 110 per cent, sweating blood and tears every week then they are not really trying and get pulled apart by TV pundits and journalists alike.

That definitely still seems to be the case with some people about Mesut Ozil. I’ll admit that I was asked to write this piece (sorry, ed) on the basis of Ozil’s wonderful goal against Ludogorets showing he is finally becoming the player they bought.

Ludogorets vs Arsenal: Best pictures

It was an astonishing goal. Went clean through, dunked it over the keeper and then dummied two defenders before scoring the last ditch winner.

Well, after all, that’s what they paid £42.5m for, wasn’t it? Solo runs, goals, a world class player winning games on his own. Now he’s delivered.

But if you watch him regularly, this is not a new thing. Ozil has been magnificent for quite some time now. You can always pick out people who haven’t seen much of Arsenal because they still go on about Ozil’s faults.

Not every superstar or record signing is Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. They have set the standard but every player is different.

(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty) (Image: Stuart MacFarlane)

I was at Manchester City’s win over Barcelona on Tuesday night. Messi’s goal was a joy, brilliant counter attacking. Kevin De Bruyne’s free kick was sensational. But Ozil’s goal was surely the best of the night.

When Arsenal signed Ozil, they knew exactly what they were getting. A wonderful technician, brilliant vision, great passing and beautiful touches.

It took him a while to settle. In fact, you only saw flashes of his brilliance in his first season and I remember being very critical of an Ozil performance at Bayern Munich in March 2014.

Around then, I was beginning to wonder. But the following season, he was excellent, the year after even better and now he’s consistently superb.

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The accusation is that, rather like Arsenal, he’s a flat track bully. Only does it against weak teams. Well, what’s he supposed to do? Not score a hat trick against Ludogorets because they are not very good?

If you’ve watched Ozil regularly, then he does do it in big games. Whether it’s Premier League or Champions League. People say he’s only good when Arsenal are playing well. Well, that’s because he’s the player that he is.

He pulls the strings in midfield, drives Arsenal forward. He’s not a midfield anchorman putting in lots of challenges.

Yes, he was poor against Middlesbrough when Arsenal drew 0-0 and Ozil looked tired. But are you seriously telling me that not all players have off days? Even Messi does.

(Image: Action Images via Reuters) (Image: Action Images via Reuters)

Yet a couple of days after that, I was listening to Adrian Durham’s show on talkSPORT and he’d written - and performed a song - called Ozil Lover, based on Easy Lover. Basically, he was taking the easy route against easy teams and Arsenal fans over hype him.

I must say I think Durham is great, hugely entertaining and yet I think he’s wrong on this one. If you can’t appreciate Ozil, then I’m not sure you can really love football.

The callers were then asked who they thought the best No10 was. From any era. Glenn Hoddle often cropped up and that’s a good shout.

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But, seriously, are people trying to rewrite history here? Hoddle wasn’t amazing every week. In fact, England managers deemed him so inconsistent that, much to their shame, they didn’t use him half as much as they should.

However, I’d have had Hoddle in my team every week. Because the one quiet game is outweighed by the brilliance in the others. That goes the same for Liam Brady, of course. In fact, there’s a song that will probably get aired about the two of them during Sunday’s North London derby.

After years of functional football under George Graham, Arsenal fans love skilful players. They’ve enjoyed the Arsene Wenger style of football. He’s transformed the club and brought in and indulged great players like Ozil.

(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty)

(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty)

When I had to name my best ever Wenger XI recently, I put Ozil in. He’s that good. Full of skill, control, touches.

Yes, he might not score a “worldy” every week. But why do we go to football? We go to be entertained. We go for the little touches of magic, twists and turns. Ozil does all that. He may not win a game every week but quite often there will be something there to appreciate.

I’ve interviewed him in the past and he’s quiet, unassuming, would rather let his feet do the talking. But people in the game know. They appreciate him. Even Jose Mourinho claimed he was the best No10 in the world.

Mourinho knows him from Real Madrid and bear hugged him on the pitch after Chelsea had beaten Arsenal a couple of years ago. It was long after everyone else had left. Other clubs appreciate and love him.

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Maybe it’s a failing that we only realise how good these players are when they’ve gone. Maybe that’s why people rewrite history a little bit on Hoddle. I grew up enjoying Brady’s football. But he wasn’t amazing every week. You can’t be.

Dennis Bergkamp is an all time great. Yet, I’ll remember a journalist colleague turning to me during a game at Tottenham (which Arsenal won) and saying: “Bergkamp’s gone missing again.” The thing is, I couldn’t argue with him. He was awful that day.

That Ozil goal in Bulgaria is something truly special. Something amazing. He might not perform in the derby on Sunday and everyone will moan again. But one thing’s for sure, they’ll never be able to take away THAT goal.