Saka chooses unexpected player as the best teammate of his career

November 17, 2025 Oliver Obel

Bukayo Saka has played alongside some of the biggest names in English football, but his choice for the best teammate of his career sends him back to his earliest days in Arsenal’s senior squad. Despite sharing dressing rooms with global stars for both club and country, Saka’s answer went in an unexpected direction.

Saka, now 24, has become a central figure for both Arsenal and England since breaking through as a teenager. He has made more than 275 appearances for the North London club and remains one of Mikel Arteta’s most consistent attacking threats. According to Sportbible, Arsenal entered the recent international break four points clear at the top of the Premier League.

His rise with England has mirrored that trajectory. Saka has appeared in two European Championship finals and has collected 47 caps, scoring 14 times — including his strike in last week’s World Cup qualifying win over Serbia at Wembley. He began England’s trip to Albania on the bench, with qualification already secured.

Saka surprises fans with his choice of best teammate

What many supporters didn’t expect was the name Saka offered when asked to identify the most talented player he has worked with. During his early seasons in Arsenal’s first team, he trained closely with Mesut Ozil — a midfielder whose vision and precision passing defined Arsenal’s attacking identity throughout much of the 2010s. Ozil often produced moments few others on the pitch could see coming, making him a natural source of inspiration for young players.

Ozil arrived from Real Madrid in 2013, made 254 appearances and won four FA Cups before leaving the club in early 2021. He later played for Fenerbahce and Istanbul Basaksehir before retiring in 2023 due to persistent injuries. Internationally, he earned 92 caps for Germany and played a major role in their 2014 World Cup triumph.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Saka explained why Ozil left such a lasting impression.

“Maybe Mesut Ozil. High quality player, man,” Saka said. “It was just fun, hard to describe it. Fun to play with him, fun to watch him.”

For Saka, those early seasons were formative — and his choice places Ozil ahead of current stars such as England captain Harry Kane and Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice. It’s a reminder that certain influences shape young players in ways that statistics alone can’t capture, and Ozil’s creativity clearly left a mark that still resonates with him today.

Sources: Sportbible, BBC Radio 5 Live