Mesut Ozil’s agent who also is a lawyer and teacher Dr Erkut Sogut spoke with the SunSport about the stars charity work.
On his wedding day to Amine Gulse, last summer, Ozil promised to finance 1,000 operations for needy kids across the globe.
Dr Sogut said “Then, during last year’s World Cup, he told me ‘I want to do this bigger. Let’s change the lives of 1,000 kids, let’s do 1,000 operations’.
“Mesut came from a very poor background, with his mum doing two cleaning jobs a day. He knows what it means not to have anything.
“And he said ‘Look, Erkut, I earn so much, I can’t spend it all on myself, so I can give much more’.”
Ozil admitted: “As a footballer I am fortunate and in a privileged position. Amine and I will bear the expenses for surgeries of 1,000 children in need.”
He has also previously donated his 2014 World Cup winnings — about £240,000 — to fund surgery for 23 sick Brazilian children in conjunction with the BigShoe charity.
