FORMER Arsenal star Mesut Ozil has made a shock career change after retiring from football.

The German-born Wold Cup winner has entered the world of POLITICS.

Ozil has become a member of Turkey’s ruling AK Party’s central council at a congress meeting in Ankara.

The legendary midfielder was one of 39 new appointees into a key decision-making body called the Central Decision and Executive Board (MKYK).

Ozil, who ended his club career with Istanbul Basaksehir, has been a longtime supporter of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Tens of thousands gathered in a sports hall grand congress as Erdogan secured his ninth re-election as AKP’s leader.

The congress was attended by 31 representatives from 16 political parties across 13 countries, along with 62 ambassadors and 34 mission representatives

In 2019, Ozil chose Conservative leader Erdogan as the best man at his wedding to Amine Gulse, a former Miss Turkey.

His association with Erdogan has previously sparked controversy.

A 2018 photo of Ozil and fellow German star Ilkay Gundogan alongside Erdogan triggered a political backlash in Germany.

Ozil, previously held up as a symbol of a multicultural Germany, retired from the German national team soon after.

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He accused fans of racism saying: “I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose.”

The third-generation Turkish-German was born in Gelsenkirchen and was a key member of his country’s 2014 World Cup-winning side.

He won 92 caps and was voted the national team’s player of the year five times since 2011 by fans.

Now, with his political career taking shape, Ozil is set to play a new role within Turkish politics under Erdogan’s leadership.

But in his prime, he was regarded as one of football’s best playmakers.

Ozil scooped trophies with Werder Bremen, Madrid and Arsenal during a glittering club career.

SCENES featuring One Direction star Liam Payne could be drastically cut back in the upcoming series of boyband search, Building the Band.

I understand bosses at Netflix are trying to find a way that the singer can remain as a presence in the final edit of the show when it drops on the streaming service later this year.

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Scenes featuring One Direction star Liam Payne could be drastically cut back in the upcoming series of boyband search, Building the Band[/caption]

He signed up to be a guest judge on the contest and filmed his section in the UK last year, just months before he died in tragic circumstances in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in October.

But the streaming giant wants to avoid a backlash from viewers, who might think that having him feature in the show too much is insensitive or in poor taste.

A TV insider said: “The feeling among execs at Netflix is that they want to err on the side of caution, and if that means having Liam in the least amount of scenes possible then that’s the step they’re willing to take.

“They want to strike the right balance between having him feature in the show, doing the thing he loved, with having him feature too much, which would be a lot for his loved ones to contend with.

“Discussions are ongoing with Liam’s family, and their views are a crucial consideration for Netflix.

“But fans may be surprised by how little he ends up featuring in the finished series.

“The one option they probably don’t have is to remove him entirely from the show, even if they wanted to, because he’s an intrinsic part of the process the boy bands go through on the series.”

Those close to Liam’s family were surprised that Netflix confirmed in January that Building The Band would air later this year.

They thought they would have a final say on the show and that discussions were ongoing.

Netflix were approached for comment.

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Liam died in tragic circumstances in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in October[/caption]

LOZZA IN THE MAD HOUSES

FRESH from the jungles of Costa Rica on Netflix’s Celeb Bear Hunt, Laurence Llewellyn Bowen is returning to his creature comforts with another round of his Channel 4 series.

The king of interior design will be back to explore more wild, weird and wonderful houses in a second series of Outrageous Homes.

Not known, clear with picture desk

Laurence Llewellyn Bowen is back for a second series of Outrageous Homes[/caption]

In it, Laurence discovers what inspires homeowners to be different by banishing all things bland, and uncovers the hard work put in to finish each project.

He said: “Twenty-eight years ago when I filmed the first episode of Changing Rooms, I suspected this nation wasn’t the aesthetic blandscape it appeared to be.

“Now, with Season Deux (The Glampire Strikes Back), I’ll be up to the armpits in weird.

Applications to appear on the series are open now.

NAT APPY TO CHAT

FILMING for EastEnders, joining Beeb comedy Boarders and starting a consumer series might keep Natalie Cassidy busy but she still has time for her fans.

In fact, she texts them.

BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

Natalie Cassidy talks to fans over WhatsApp[/caption]

Natalie, who plays Sonia Fowler on the soap, tells listeners on her podcast Life With Nat to text on WhatsApp.

She told the Monday Mile podcast: “I get messages every day, it’s like a real community.

“I text them back.

“Not all of them, or you could be doing it all day, but I will reply, ‘Thanks’, and they’re like, ‘Is this really you’ – so if I have time, I put voice notes in.

“I want people to feel part of it.”

Natalie will leave Albert Square this year, and will play an eccentric maths teacher in Boarders, and host consumer series What’s The Big Deal.

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