The Premier League is the toughest challenge I’ve experienced in football. If you can’t take it here, without whining, then you’re history. It’s something I had to get to grips with in the first few weeks and months after my switch from Real Madrid.

Whereas in Spain the entire game is based on elegant ball play — even teams from lower leagues try the same — in England you have scratching, biting and fighting. In England, football is one tackle after another. There’s barely any respite.

Generally this doesn’t happen in Spain because the ball is constantly on the move. Pass, pass, pass. The opponent rarely has the opportunity to intervene because the ball is already on the other side of the pitch.

Mesut Ozil crouches down at the end of Arsenal's 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park

In England you fail to notice how hard it is during the game itself and how many attacks the body sustains. You’re so full of adrenalin that you don’t feel the pain. But then, under the shower, you discover the ‘misery’. After some matches my shins have looked as if someone has gone at them with a hammer, covered in blue marks.

I’ve had scratches on the neck and bruises on my back, shoulders and chest from opponents’ elbows welcoming me into the Premier League when the referee wasn’t watching.

Some opponents also gave me a right earful on the pitch soon after my move from Spain. I’d never heard anything like it before. Nowhere is there as much chit-chat as in England. There are some players who are permanently rabbiting on. And of course it’s not exactly friendly stuff.

For example, after I’d been brutally brought to the ground in one of my first encounters, the opponent hissed, ‘It’s not Real Madrid. We’re not in La Liga.’ And as my new best friend turned away he muttered: ‘Come on, get up boy,’ with a malicious grin.

Ozil is Arsenal's top earner on £140,000-per-week; but has refused to sign a new deal

In an attempt to fight back I’d go running to the ref to begin with and try to ‘work’ him. Every player does it. We all try to influence the referee verbally, to raise his awareness if we’re worried about getting hurt.

We complain so that the next time he’ll watch more carefully and spot if we’re kicked or elbowed. I do this just like Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben or Lionel Messi — all players who get kicked a lot because opponents are trying to disrupt their rhythm and because sometimes it’s the only way to stop them.

But, to my great surprise, I was forced to realise that even the English referees have their very own form of communication. In my early days at Arsenal they dismissed my appeals in a way that made me think I’d misheard them. They’d say things such as ‘Don’t whinge. You’ve got to deal with it. Welcome to the Premier League.’

Sledging from the opposition. Cutting comments from refs. And football that’s harder than anywhere else — that’s the Premier League. That’s English football. And that’s the football I’ve got used to and love today.

Ozil believes he has grown tougher at Arsenal and learned to take much more punishment

At Arsenal I’ve grown tougher. I’ve learned to take so much more. I’ve toned a few more muscles than during my time at Real Madrid so I’m in a better position to meet the physical challenges.

But it’s a very fine line. I wouldn’t gain anything from spending hours on the bench, wildly pumping iron. If I were too muscular I’d be less nimble and sprightly. I reckon I’ve put on about a kilo and a half of muscle mass. Enough to survive the physical batterings but not so much that I’m too brawny to run.

Otherwise I haven’t changed that much as a player. Partly on the advice of Robert Pires, the Arsenal legend who often looked in on us when his career ended, even training with the injured players sometimes, so I got the chance to get to know him better.

Over the years he has become more than a friend. He’s someone I can discuss problems with and whose opinion is incredibly important to me.

Ozil has got the chance to know Arsenal legend Robert Pires who has given the German advice

When the media started having a go at me again, demanding that I become more selfish and score more goals, I asked him what he thought. I wanted to know if he judged these criticisms to be correct.

He encouraged me to stick with my way of playing. ‘Let them say what they like,’ he said. ‘You’ve got a unique style. You’re not like Ronaldo. You’re different. You see spaces that barely any other player does. You can read a game. Trust in your extraordinary ability and don’t adjust your game merely because this is what outsiders are telling you to do.’

It did me the world of good to hear this assessment from him. He’s not someone who tells me what I want to hear and doesn’t dare criticise me. Quite the opposite. After poor performances I had to listen to Pires say quite a lot, which I value enormously.

When I got an offer from China last summer, however, I didn’t need his advice because the offer was too absurd. The Chinese were prepared to pay me £100million net over a period of five years. A fairy tale amount of money that went beyond the limits of my imagination.

Ozil has turned down the chance to join the likes of Axel Witsel in the Chinese Super League

In spite of this it took me less than three minutes to decline the offer. My agent, Erkut, called me to let me know about the bid. He said: ‘I think we’re agreed what we’re going to do, aren’t we? You won’t consider it, will you?’

‘I’m nowhere near the end of my career,’ I replied. ‘I still want to win titles with Arsenal. I don’t want to play in China no matter how much they’re willing to pay. No way.’

And so the matter was settled. In the knowledge, by the way, that Chinese president Xi Jinping is a fan. On one occasion Arsenal’s managing director came to tell us that the president had contacted the club asking for my jersey with a dedication. In fact he wanted a Germany shirt and we promised to sort it out.

That same day a courier picked up the shirt from my house.

We won't let Bayern loss scar us forever

The devastating loss at Bayern Munich this season is undoubtedly one of the darkest hours of my footballing career. It’s in the top five of the most humiliating defeats I’ve suffered.

We were positively prepared for the game. Arsene Wenger had revealed to us his game plan. He was very clear about his ideas — and they were good ones.

Our intention was to go all out for Bayern’s central defender Mats Hummels; to prevent him from opening up the game which he does so brilliantly. We wanted to force him to play the ball to Javi Martinez, who’s also a fine central defender but who isn’t great at opening up the game. In this way we hoped we’d be able to stop Bayern from building up the play at an early stage and disrupt their rhythm.

'The loss at Bayern Munich is undoubtedly one of the darkest hours of my footballing career'

Wenger also warned us about Douglas Costa and his speed over the first five to 10 metres, as well as Arjen Robben.

Of course I could go on about why our game plan didn’t work. I could look for excuses. But I’m not going to. What went on between us in the dressing room after the match is nobody’s business. Nor is what Wenger considered our failures to be in his post-match analysis. The fact is, we all failed. We were all bad! We played a game that held a mirror up to our faces.

It was a performance we can’t just brush aside. No, we have to learn our lessons from it. We all have to ask searching questions of ourselves and accept responsibility for the defeat. All the players, all the trainers, even the management. Because this fiasco also represents a great opportunity!

When I was at Real Madrid and we lost to Barcelona, Jose Mourinho said: ‘Forget the game... don’t think about it any more. I’m sure we’re going to break Barcelona’s dominance in this country. I’m sure we’re going to be champions. But we won’t do it if we allow this defeat to get on top of us.’

Bayern Munich celebrate after Douglas Costa (centre) scored to make it 3-1 at the Emirates

That’s how we have to deal with it now, too. I have thought long and hard about the match. I’ve visualised what went wrong. But I can’t allow this game to inhibit me in the future and destroy my confidence, which is the most important thing a footballer can have on the field. This defeat mustn’t get the better of any of us.

In my footballing life I’ve often fallen flat on my face and been knocked to the ground. But I’ve always got up again and won victories and titles following the defeat.

In spite of the disappointments with Germany in South Africa and Poland and Ukraine, we became world champions. In spite of the humiliation at the hands of Barcelona we won the Spanish league at Real Madrid. And this defeat by Bayern will produce something good at the end, too.

It has left me with a little scar. Just like the scornful sledging I received at the start of my adventure in England, the blue marks on my shins and the bruises on my torso, it has made me tougher, harder-nosed and better able to take what’s thrown at me. And I’m going to prove it!

I rang Wenger to get me out of Madrid, but Jose was astonished by my move to Arsenal

In August 2013, a dispute between Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and Ozil’s father over a new contract for Ozil escalated to such an extent that the player was dropped from the team. In addition, with Jose Mourinho having been replaced by Carlo Ancelotti, Ozil was less sure of his future. As such, he picked up the phone ….

I called a number that I’d saved in my phone back in 2010.

‘Mr Wenger,’ I said, ‘I promised that you’d be the first person I’d contact if I were ever looking for another club. Now I am.’

Arsene Wenger told me that he had been keeping an eye on me the whole time and that he liked how I’d developed. And all of a sudden I had that positive feeling again, the one I’d had during our telephone conversation back in 2010.

Ozil had promised that he would contact Arsene Wenger if he was to leave Real Madrid

I sensed that this man, who I’d never met personally, had a very high opinion of me and trusted me. Exactly what I needed at this difficult time.

Of course, I’d hoped that Florentino Perez would back down and not punish me for the argument between him and my father. That he’d approach me again. But he didn’t. The relationship had cooled.

I contacted another club because it seemed to be the only possible way out. Time was flying. There were thousands of things to sort out if I were to actually move to London. Was I sure that’s what I wanted? That this was what would make me happy?

Jose Mourinho was astonished [by the move]. ‘You didn’t say anything to me. I thought you wanted to finish your career at Real Madrid,’ he texted me.

Pep snub turned me off Barcelona

When Ozil was weighing up who to join in 2010, Jose Mourinho gave him a VIP tour of Real Madrid’s facilities. However, although Barcelona were interested, there was nothing like that welcome and he never even met Pep Guardiola.

When I visited Barcelona, there was no tour of the stadium; no display of their trophies, which had given me goose bumps in Madrid. Unlike Real Madrid, Barcelona had no emotional impact on me. The entire visit was less cordial, although I was inspired by their style of play.

But most disappointing of all was the fact that Pep Guardiola didn’t take the time to meet me.

Even before I went to Barcelona I was convinced that’s where I’d be transferring to. Or at least that was my preference.

Ozil 'Most disappointing of all was the fact that Pep Guardiola didn’t take the time to meet me'

At the time no team in the world played better football. It was a real pleasure to watch the magic of their combination play. They’d pass the ball amongst themselves 20 or 30 times, with the lightness and precision of a well-rehearsed piece of choreography.

But I was puzzled by the absence of Guardiola. When Reza [my agent] and I flew back from Barcelona I kept asking the question, ‘Why wasn’t the manager there?’ His answer was always the same: ‘He’s on holiday.’ Guardiola didn’t ring me over the next few days, either. He gave no signal he wanted me.

And so my enthusiasm for Barcelona steadily declined. Ultimately I didn’t want to go to Barcelona because of Guardiola’s behaviour. But also because Mourinho was fighting so hard to get me, was so convincing, so warm, so keen. He was the complete opposite of the Barcelona coach.

So I plumped for Mourinho and Real.

Gunning for Greatness: My Life by Mesut Ozil is published by Hodder & Stoughton on April 20, priced £20. Offer price £15 (25 per cent discount) until April 23. Pre-order at mailbookshop.co.uk or call 0844 571 0640. P&p is free on orders over £15.