From hitting the net to hitting the gym! The remarkable body transformations of super-fit ex-footballers – including Mesut Ozil, Fernando Torres… and a goalkeeper turned WWE wrestler

Mesut Ozil has surprised football fans in recent weeks with a stunning body transformation after posting videos and photos of his new physique on social media. He is not the only player who has gained volume after his retirement.

The former Arsenal midfielder called it quits last year at the age of 34 and has made no secret that the gym is now his second home after leaving football.

However, he is not the only player who has turned to weights after the end of his career. Former Liverpool and Chelsea striker Fernando Torres also swapped his slender physique for a sizeable one, which no doubt surprised many.

Perhaps one of the most notable body transformations came from former Werder Bremen goalkeeper Tim Wiese when he swapped the football field for the WWE.

Among these three players there are others. Mail Sport takes a look at former stars of the game who have spent many hours in the gym after retiring.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Mesut Ozil

We have to start here. Many people were amazed when Ozil first shared his new physique in a video showing his intense training sessions.

The 35-year-old, who won the World Cup with Germany in 2014, was always known as a lean and skilful player during his career at the top level.

Ozil primarily served as an attacking midfielder in his playing days, scoring 114 goals and providing 221 assists in 645 career appearances. He fooled defenses with his eye for the pass and controlled games for fun during his time at Real Madrid and Arsenal.

Although they couldn’t get close to Ozil most of the time, the defenders would have fancied themselves in a 50/50 fight with the German. I’m not sure they did now.

Ozil’s muscular stature is a far cry from his appearance as a player.

Fernando Torres

This is a transformation that most football fans are aware of. Torres sparked a social media frenzy in 2021 when an AW8 ad showed off his impressive body transformation.

Known as ‘The Kid’, the former Liverpool striker often cut a slender figure as he terrorized defenses with his pace and skill in his prime.

Torres scored 85 goals in the Premier League during his time with the Reds and Chelsea between 2007 and 2014, but is now coach of Atlético de Madrid’s under 19s.

He was certainly strong during his playing days, famously ignoring former Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic en route to scoring at Old Trafford for Liverpool, but not many could have foreseen the strength Torres would gain.

It’s hard to imagine Torres would ever struggle to win duels if he played at his size now. He demonstrated this in March during Liverpool Legends’ 4-2 victory over Ajax Legends in a charity match.

Ze Roberto

It is quite rare to see a 49-year-old former footballer more destroyed than in his playing days, but this is the case with former Bayern Munich star Zé Roberto.

Zé Roberto was not just any footballer, he did not retire until he was 43 years old and won the Champions League with Real Madrid, as well as eight important trophies with Bayern Munich.

The former Brazil international, who played as a full-back and midfielder throughout his career, now posts motivational workout videos on social media, showing off his toned physique to almost 2.8 million followers on Instagram.

Last year, Zé Roberto’s self-confidence seemed to reach the media, he even claimed that he had a better body than Cristiano Ronaldo.

He told TyC Sports: ‘Today I would say that I have a better physique, because I played until I was 43 years old.

“If he does, I’ll say it’s him.”

Tim Wiese

Perhaps the most famous body transformation on this list is that of former Werder Bremen goalkeeper Wiese.

Wiese went from diving to keep the ball out of the net in the Bundesliga to diving off the top rope for WWE in a dramatic career change.

Back in 2014, the German goalkeeper decided that scoring was no longer for him after spending two years as Hoffenheim’s number one.

Wiese was always quite built, but he took his muscular physique to a new level before joining the wrestling scene.

Unfortunately for the former Germany international stopper, his move to WWE did not work out as planned and he left the company in 2017.

Mica Richards

Beloved TV pundit and former Manchester City defender Micah Richards has always been open about his love for the gym, so we have to have him on this list.

Yes, Richards was already a muscular figure during his playing career, but he has still added a substantial amount of muscle mass to his already strong physique following his retirement.

I suppose you could argue that as Richards progressed in his career, which was sadly cut short just five years ago, he gradually got bigger, but if we compare it to his early days, you can see the difference in size.

While he may not show it on social media like some of the other former players, it’s pretty clear that Richards hits the gym regularly in his free time.

Antonio valencia

Another player who was already big and strong in his playing days was Antonio Valencia, but he has become even bigger.

When Valencia burst onto the scene with Wigan in 2008, he was a lean, pacy winger who caused Premier League defenses plenty of problems.

After moving to Manchester United, Valencia began to become more muscular over the course of a decade, but nothing compared to his current size.

It is clear that at 38 years old he loves lifting weights.