Mesut Ozil believes Joe Willock can become a "big player" in our first-team squad.

The 19-year-old was given his chance in midfield against Bayern Munich in Los Angeles and performed admirably, outshining some exalted opponents in the German side.

Willock was assured on the ball, precise with his distribution and showed a maturity beyond his years in our 2-1 win in the International Champions Cup.

And Ozil is a big fan.

"He knows what he can do, so he is not arrogant on the pitch but he is, how can we say, he believes in himself," said our playmaker. "Especially yesterday against Bayern Munich, against a big club, he shows his quality. We are happy to have him.



"He was strong last year as well so, of course, if you really work with the first team together always, you feel more comfortable and you believe in yourself more. I think this season he can show his quality and I think he can help us this season."

Mesut knows what it takes to forge a long, successful career. So what would his advice be for his teenage teammate?

"If I remember my time, I just worked hard and gave everything. At the end of the day, those young players have quality. They show it every day in training. If he [Willock] stays healthy and believes in himself, I think he will be a big player."