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 shocked football fans in recent weeks with a stunning body transformation after he posted videos and photos of his new physique on social media. He's not the only player to have bulked up after retirement.

The former Arsenal midfielder called it a day last year at the age of 34 and has not kept it secret that the gym is now his second home after leaving the game.

He is not the only player who has turned to weights, though, following the conclusion of his career. Former Liverpool and Chelsea striker Fernando Torres also switched his lean physique for a sizeable one, which certainly surprised many.

Perhaps one of the most infamous body transformations came from former Werder Bremen goalkeeper Tim Wiese when he switched the football pitch for the WWE. 

Amongst these three players there are others, Mail Sport takes a look at former stars of the game who have put serious hours into the gym following retirement.

 Mesut Ozil

We have to start here. Many people were astonished when Ozil first shared his new physique in a video displaying his intense workout sessions.

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

Ozil was mainly deployed as an attacking midfielder in his playing days, scoring 114 goals and providing 221 assists in 645 career appearances. He bamboozled defences with his eye for a pass and controlled games for fun during his time at Real Madrid and Arsenal.

Although they could not get near Ozil a lot of the time, defenders would have fancied themselves in a 50/50 tussle with the German. I'm not sure they would now.

Ozil's muscle-bound stature is a far cry from how he looked as a player. 

Fernando Torres 

This is a transformation most football fans are aware of. Torres sent social media into a frenzy back in 2021 when an advert for AW8 showed off his impressive body transformation.

Known as 'El Nino', the former Liverpool forward used to cut a lean figure as he terrorised defences with his pace and skill in his prime.

Torres scored 85 Premier League goals during his time at the Reds and Chelsea between 2007 and 2014, but is now coach of Atletico Madrid's Under 19s. 

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

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

Ze Roberto 

It is pretty uncommon to see a 49-year old former footballer more shredded than in their playing days, but this is the case for former Bayern Munich star Ze Roberto.

Ze Roberto was not your average footballer, he didn't retire until he was 43-years-old, and won the Champions League with Real Madrid, as well as eight major trophies with Bayern Munich. 

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

Last year, it seemed Ze Roberto's self-confidence hit the media, he even claimed 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 will say it is him.'

Tim Wiese

Perhaps the most renowned 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 the WWE in a dramatic career change. 

Back in 2014, the German goalkeeper decided that guarding the net was not for him anymore after spending two years as Hoffenheim's number one.

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

Sadly for the ex-Germany international stopper, his move to the WWE didn't quite work out as planned and he left the company in 2017. 

Micah Richards

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

Yes, Richards was 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 after retirement. 

I guess you could argue as Richards went through his career, which was sadly cut short just five years ago, he gradually got bigger, but if we are comparing him to his early days, you can see the size difference.

Although he may not show it off on social media like some of the other ex-players, it's pretty clear that Richards hits the gym regularly in his spare time.

 Antonio Valencia 

Another player who was already big and strong during his playing days was Antonio Valencia, but he has got even bulkier.

When Valencia burst onto the scene with Wigan in 2008, he was a lean, pacy, winger that caused Premier League defences a lot of problems.

After moving to Manchester United, Valencia did start to get more muscular over the course of a decade, but nothing compared to his size now.

It's clear that 38-year-old is a fan of lifting dumbells.