Mesut Ozil has underlined his determination to get back to his best – and start helping Arsenal win trophies again.

He has started this pre-season with a new hunger to prove wrong the doubters after a disappointing campaign which left his future at the Emirates in serious doubt.

The club’s highest-paid player, Ozil ­struggled with injuries and with fitting into new manager Unai Emery’s first-team plans, but won back his place towards the end of last ­season.

“I am really happy,” said the 30-year-old German, after Wednesday's 2-1 win over Bayern Munich in Los Angeles. “I’m fit. We’re working hard and, as an Arsenal player and an ­Arsenal team, we have always goals to win titles. Hopefully we can win titles this season.

Mesut Ozil: Midfield terrier?! Arsenal's highest earner shows uncharacteristic desire against Bayern (
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Bongarts/Getty)

“We train really hard to be fit for the whole season, we are doing our job very well. We work hard together and we showed, ­especially against Bayern Munich, we look very fresh. We deserved to win.

“We are really happy to have been training in Los Angeles and we’ve a little bit more time before the season starts.”

Last season was Ozil’s toughest since arriving from Real Madrid in 2013, with Emery dropping the £350,000-a-week midfielder and barely ­picking him for away games.

It left the 2014 World Cup winner – whose dark hair is now dyed blond after losing a crossbar challenge with team-mates – at a ­crossroads in his ­career, with Arsenal ­appearing ready to offload him had any clubs who could ­afford him come forward.

Emery is a ­demanding manager, which is at odds with a player such as Ozil, whose game is more about flair than hard work. It seemed there was a breakdown in their relationship and a lack of trust ­between them.

'Loving Arsenal'? Ozil is cutting a far happier figure than during last season (
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Arsenal FC via Getty)

Ozil’s previous ­managers ­included Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger and he insists there is no issue with Emery.

“I’ve had a lot of coaches in my career so of course every coach is different and wants something different from you as a player,” he said.

“I had a few injuries before the start of last season so, of course, I had a tough time. But, especially at the end of the ­season, I played a lot of games. ’ve a really good relationship with the coach so we’re speaking a lot and he wants to help me and I want to help the team.”

“What we spoke about I can’t say. I can’t tell you because if I say something now to you, in the future he doesn’t want to speak to me again, so I have to take care of that! Of course, he just wants to help me. I know that because he has a lot of experience. We are speaking a lot and he wants to help me and, as I said before, I know what I can do on the pitch.

“I want to help the team and I think it will be going well this season, for me and the team.”

Arsenal go into the new season aiming to lift silverware, insists Ozil (
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USA TODAY Sports)

Ozil looked sharp against Bayern in Arsenal’s first game of their pre-season International Champions Cup tournament. Now they face Italy's Fiorentina in Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday before finishing on Tuesday against Real Madrid in nation's capital Washington, DC.

Emery, likely to rest and rotate his way through those games, admitted he has had a heart-to-heart talk with Ozil to make sure he gets the best out of one of his most important players this season.

He said: “We had big challenges (last season) collectively, as a club and individually as a player. Mesut is the same. I spoke with him last week at the beginning of pre-season, and wanted to get his best performance.

“The way to achieve that is with daily commitment. He’s working very well and I’m very positive about his commitment. He has a high, high commitment. He’s one of the captains of the team with Granit Xhaka and Nacho Monreal. I’m looking forward to seeing the best Mesut Ozil this season.”