Özil gets Germany party started

Match-winner Mesut Özil spoke of his pride after inspiring Germany to a 4-0 victory over England to claim the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship title.

'Clear winners'
The Werder Bremen playmaker had a hand in three of Germany's four goals, setting up Gonzalo Castro to open the scoring before providing the pass for Sandro Wagner to hit the third and put the game out of England's reach. In between times, he got a 48th-minute goal of his own, flummoxing England goalkeeper Scott Loach with a swerving 35-metre free-kick. "I'm really proud and happy because we were clear winners," he said after collecting the Carlsberg Man of the Match award. "It was the aim of the team to win this title and we did it. We did everything the coach told us and that was decisive. Now it's time to party."

'Floodgates'
Loach, wrong-footed, could merely palm Özil's dipping free-kick into the net even though the ball was fired towards the centre of his goal, yet neither the 20-year-old nor his coach Horst Hrubesch was taken aback by the outcome. "I wasn't surprised it went in because we practised set-pieces a lot in training and are experienced at taking them," the No10 said. Hrubesch added: "We spent time in training preparing the boys for free-kicks as these balls move a lot. That goal opened the floodgates."

Midfield role
When Wagner became the recipient of Özil's generosity in the closing stages, it was clear his team-mate was enjoying being back in midfield after playing the four preceding games as a makeshift striker. "I'm not used to playing up front," Özil said. "I played in midfield all season for my club and feel much better there than as a forward. It was nice to be in midfield. I wanted to help the team as much as possible and think I did well."

Senior ambitions
Özil is getting used to the big occasion. Having appeared in Werder Bremen's UEFA Cup final defeat by FC Shakhtar Donetsk on 20 May, he notched the only goal of the German Cup final against Bayer 04 Leverkusen ten days later. "Titles are titles and always special, and this one in particular because it is at international level," said the Gelsenkirchen-born player. Continue performing like this and Özil will likely add to his one senior cap, won against Norway in February. "I will try to improve in the Budesliga and if I do that, the national coach can decide if I am good enough," he went on.

'Outstanding'
Germany head coach Joachim Löw was in attendance at the Malmö New Stadium and will doubtless have been impressed by what he saw. England manager Stuart Pearce certainly was. "I think Özil is an outstanding player who has played very well in this tournament," he said. "He takes up intelligent positions on the pitch and was a threat to us. Well done to him and to Germany."