Marco Reus: A Dortmund Cult Hero Who Should Have Reached World Class Status

There are a number of names who you could say are synonymous with Borussia Dortmund over the last couple of decades. Matthias Sammer, Lars Ricken, Jan Koller, wow, there are many.

But, there is one who probably stands out from the pack. Arguably, ‘Mr Borussia Dortmund’, Marco Reus is a player who, when he broke through in that sensational side that Jurgen Klopp put together was predicted to become one of the best left wingers in the world.

And, for a time, he really blossomed, striking up a great on-field relationship with Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski. He had everything that you would expect from a quality modern day ‘winger’; flair, movement, intelligence and an eye for goal.

A Blossoming Career In The Making

He was well on his way to going on to compete at the highest level. Links to the likes of Arsenal and even Real Madrid emerged, though he chose to stay loyal to the club that brought him from Borussia Monchengladbach and gave him the platform to shine. Indeed, he was crowned Bundesliga Player of the Season on no less than three occasions – a notable achievement.

While a lot of his teammates from that famous side that Klopp assembled, moving on, most notably, Lewandowski, Gotze and Mats Hummels (all to rivals Bayern Munich), Reus witnessed a number of ‘new’ Dortmund teams during his time there.

Up until 2015, he was very much excelling, until the very thing that a footballer in his prime dreads. Injury hit, And, not just any injury, but one that would continue to plague him in years to come and cause him never to reach his previous heights.

Cruciate ligament damage has ended many player’s careers’ over the years and, while Reus came back on a number of occasions, he wasn’t the same. He had lost his pace, certainly, though, he didn’t lose his obvious class. He could still score; his football brain was, if anything sharper – he proved to be a great for the younger players coming through.

One Of Germany’s Lost Talents Through No Fault Of His Own

There was no doubting the ability or potential that Reus had – indeed, he could have easily gone on to become one of the best players in the world and certainly for the German national team.

Every so often, you get a player who has the potential to flourish consistently on the world stage, though sometimes, injuries more or less, end their career. This didn’t happen with Reus, who joined La Galaxy in August 2024, signing a two-and-a-half year deal.

He has adapted well to life in the MLS – very much a league  where players in the ‘twilight’ of their career often do well. At the age of 36, it is unlikely that we will see Reus back in Europe, regardless of how much he exceeds expectations stateside, though, he is more than capable of having a considerable influence in the states. He could even be the perfect ambassador for Germany’s World Cup campaign next summer, with the US being co-hosts for the tournament. Ultimately, had Reus’ career taken a more favourable turn, he could have even been starring.