It says much about the maturity of Germany starlet Mesut Ozil that he overcame personal tragedy to produce a starring performance as he helped to send England crashing out of the World Cup in Bloemfontein last Sunday.
Just two days after his beloved grandmother passed away, 21-year-old Ozil confirmed he is ready to realize his personal dream of joining the game's elite and it seems that dream may come to fruition even sooner than he dared to imagine.
A year after his starring role in Germany's European Under-21 Championship triumph, Ozil is looking like a genuine world-class talent among the big boys and he makes no secret of his desire to become one of the game's true greats as he prepares to take on one of his idols in the World Cup quarter-finals this weekend.
"My dreams are the same as any kid and that is to be the best footballer in the world," he says. "I'm only 21, so such ambitions will have to wait for some time yet, but I have already played against many of the top players in the world and I enjoy that challenge.
"When you play for this nation, it doesn't matter whether you are up against Lionel Messi and Argentina or Kaka and Brazil because Germany's record is as good as any in the major tournaments, so our ambition is very high even if this team is still learning.
"Respect is good, but fear is only a negative and we do not feel frightened by any opponent. Despite our youthful years, we all believe we can be the best and everyone in Germany expects to see their team in the important stages of the World Cup, whatever the circumstances. We have to give the people what they expect.
"England was always going to be a massive test for us, but no one could argue [with the fact] we deserved to win the game, and it was very special for me after all that had happened back home with my grandmother. This is not an easy time, but the World Cup gives me a chance to make my family proud."
The Werder Bremen star has just one year left on his contract and is already being rated in the £25 million bracket after his starring performances in South Africa this summer, but he says: "What this World Cup means for my future is not an issue.
"I once said I would like to play for Barcelona one day and journalists often ask me about this, but I only want to think about the big clubs when I am ready for this. Others can decide when this might be. For now, I only look at this next game against Argentina and it will be great to play against Messi."
The kid who idolised Zinedine Zidane as he grew up has been compared to current Argentina boss Diego Maradona by some scribes and it seems that such lofty comparisons are not so farfetched in a summer when Ozil has become one of the most prized catches in the European game.
While the weight of expectation on his raw shoulders could have overwhelmed the starlet, Ozil has risen to the challenge and he believes a change of philosophy at the top of German football has allowed him to make his mark at this World Cup.
"The team that won the Under-21 title last summer are lucky to be in this era because young players were never given the sort of chances we are getting when we did not have much experience," he says.
"In the past, the German national team has always been full of experienced players, proven winners who have performed well for their clubs over many years and this is why the team have tended to produce reliable performances in the big tournaments.
"Now the attitudes have changed. People believe the young players have earned the right to be trusted a little more and they believe we can take the pressure. That's good news as this World Cup could have come too soon for us if we were in a different era.
"Some of the clubs in Germany have been forced to find young players as their finances are not so strong and it means opportunities are coming up for players who show potential to play for big Bundesliga clubs.
"This can only help the national team and, even though none of us can be sure how this team will perform in this World Cup as we are all so young, you can feel that the next great Germany side can emerge from this emerging group of players."
Halting an increasingly impressive Argentina side in Cape Town on Saturday may prove to be a step too far for Ozil and his youthful German pals, but a sparkling future seems certain to lie in wait for the midfielder whose winning goal against Ghana in the final group game and man-of-the-match display against England have made him a worldwide superstar.
In a summer when the likes of Thierry Henry, Franck Ribery, Fabio Cannavaro and Wayne Rooney vacated their chairs at football's top table, a few new faces are required to join the game's elite and Mesut Ozil is emerging as a leading contender to claim a seat.
