Manchester United

Mesut Ozil: 'Bastian Schweinsteiger needs time to adjust'

By Shane Callaghan, Reporter | 27 August 2015

Mesut Ozil backs Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger to prove his class in the Premier League and silence his critics.

Mesut Ozil has backed Germany teammate and Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger to prove himself successful in the Premier League.

Schweinsteiger left Bayern Munich to join the Red Devils for £14m last month in a deal that raised eyebrows over whether not the 31-year-old could cope with the physicality and pace of English football.

The veteran midfielder has endured a mixed start in England and lasted only 59 minutes of his full debut in last Saturday's 0-0 draw with Newcastle United.

Ozil is no stranger to criticism himself after dividing opinion following a £42.5m move from Real Madrid to Arsenal in 2013, but the 26-year-old stresses that the World Cup winner will silence his critics in due course.

"The drastic interim judgement in [the] English press is not fair towards him," he told Sport 1. "He certainly needs some time to adjust to Premier League. Just allow him a bit of time.

"Basti has shown the whole world at the World Cup what a leader he is, most of all in the final. Whenever the English media writes about Bastian, they put a World Cup winner before his name.

"He's now the German world champion, who should make the difference for United."

United coach Louis van Gaal worked with Schweinsteiger for two years during his spell in charge at the Allianz Arena from 2009 until 2011.