Mesut Ozil insists he has 'given his all' for Arsenal as German hits back against recent criticism

The 28-year-old has repeatedly fallen under scrutiny this campaign, with a number of his performances drawing sharp criticism from pundits and observers

Mesut Ozil said he only values Arsene Wenger's opinion (Getty)

Mesut Ozil his hit back against his critics, insisting he does not care for their opinions and believes he has given his all for Arsenal this season.

The 28-year-old has repeatedly fallen under scrutiny this campaign, with a number of his performances drawing sharp criticism from pundits and observers.

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown accused the German of “giving up on his team-mates” in the side’s recent defeat by Tottenham, while Jamie Redknapp described him as a “passenger” in the game.

But Ozil has said he only values Arsene Wenger’s opinion and uses the criticisms against him as motivation.

"The expectations are always high, which I guess is normally a positive, you could say," he told Sky Sports.

"But I know what I can do and it doesn't affect me really. I've played for Real Madrid, I've played for Germany and I've had praise and criticism throughout my career and it's only made me stronger.

"For me what's most important, as I've always said, is the manager's opinion because when it comes from him you know it's the truth, be it positive or be it negative.

"There's some people that like me and some people that don't, but I give no worth to those opinions, really.

"They can have them, but I know what I can do. My stats show that I do give my all and I give my best."

Ozil and Co travel to Southampton on Wednesday night in search of a second successive win as they continue to chase a top-four finish.

Mesut Ozil is often targeted for a perceived lack of effort due to his style of play (Getty)

The outcome of this season is likely to determine Ozil’s future at the club though the player has reiterated his stance that he will not discuss a new contract until after the FA Cup final on 27 May.

He added: "As I've said in the past, the most important thing is Arsenal and what we do as a team now.

"I've got aims with this club, we all want the top four and that's what counts at the moment.

"As I've said before, in the summer we will talk but right now Arsenal stands in front of any player and I respect that.

"As I've always said in the past, I feel comfortable here. I'm happy. Arsenal belong as one of the best clubs in the world and London is a great place to be, a great city to live in.

"So after the season we will talk and then we will make a decision from there."