The 32-year-old attacking player has been on the books at Borussia Dortmund since July 2012. As of June 2021, the Germany international has made 315 appearances for BVB across all competitions (190 goals, 96 assists) and won the DFB-Pokal in 2017 and 2021. He has been the club captain since 2018.
Marco Reus is the face of Borussia Dortmund; the club’s star man; a figure of identification for the fanbase; the man who wears the captain’s armband for the Black & Yellows. ''I will never forget where I come from and how hard I had to work to achieve my goals,’'' says the Dortmund-born star, who only left his hometown for spells in Ahlen (2006 to 2009) and Mönchengladbach. The prodigal son returned in 2012. And it seems like he’s here to stay.
On 9 March 2018, Reus extended his contract until 30 June 2023, despite the lure of other, more financially lucrative offers available elsewhere. The club captain chose not to follow the money, preferring to play his part in bringing the club back up to the top level. In his own words: ''It’s like in real life; things don’t always go how you would like. But even in those tough times, you have to stick to your values and your principles.'' When the new contract was announced, chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke commented: ''This player shows the utmost sense of identification with the club. We are extremely proud.'' For Reus, this is just something that comes naturally: ''I’ve been wearing the Borussia jersey since 2012. When I was a child, I always dreamed of running out in Black & Yellow and playing for the club. Dortmund is my home, and BVB are my club.''
Marco Reus was born and raised in Dortmund. Growing up, his hero was Tomas Rosicky: ''He played football exactly the way I wanted to. I used to wear a sweatband so that I could be like him. His movement on the pitch and his ability to pick out a teammate was a real inspiration to me. He was a really friendly guy. I would have loved to be able to play with him.''
Back in 2006, Marco Reus was part of the Borussia Dortmund U17 squad that made it to the final of the German Championship. However, the skinny 16-year-old wasn’t a regular in the starting XI, and he decided to seek his fortune elsewhere. The attacker moved to Rot-Weiß Ahlen, where he turned out for the youth teams in the U19 Bundesliga before making the step-up to the first team - playing in the Regionalliga, the 3. Liga and then the Bundesliga 2. He nailed down a place in the starting line-up and became one of the top performers at the club. In the summer of 2009, the man dubbed “Reus the Rocket” by kicker magazine signed for Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he saw ''the best opportunity to develop in the long run.''
In the summer of 2012, some skillful maneuvering in the transfer market from BVB sporting director Michael Zorc was enough to convince the Germany international to return to his roots and sign for BVB. Zorc and the BVB management team faced fierce competition from some of Europe’s top clubs for the signature of the technically-gifted dribbler with a keen eye for goal.
When the young family man - his daughter was born in March 2019 - enters the opposing box at high speed, the ball seems to stick to his feet. His pace and impeccable technique are complemented by a sharp goalscoring instinct. The exceptionally speedy and agile attacker is capable of conjuring something from nothing at any moment to turn a game on its head. ''Marco makes every team better,'' says Michael Zorc, adding: ''He’s the man for the important moments and, above all, the important goals. He’s the cornerstone of our attacking play and one of the defining figures at the club.''
In the 2018/19 season, Reus was the difference maker for the Black & Yellows. At peak footballing age, the Germany international hit the best form of his life. After being voted ''Player of the Season'' by his fellow Bundesliga players, sporting journalists honoured him with the most prestigious individual prize in German football: ''Footballer of the Year.'' Reus joined Hans Tilkowski (1965), Matthias Sammer (1995 and 1996) and Jürgen Kohler (1997) as the fourth Borussia player to receive the award.
In his 311 Bundesliga appearances for Gladbach and Dortmund, Reus has been involved in 229 goals (135 scored, 94 assists). His 135 Bundesliga goals place him 21st in the all-time top scorer rankings - Horst Hrubesch is 20th with 136. 54 of his 135 Bundesliga goals gave his side a 1-0 lead.
During his time at BVB he has reached the 2013 Champions League and won the DFB-Pokal on two occasions. In the 2017 final, he suffered a cruciate ligament tear as he scored the opening goal against Frankfurt (BVB won 2-1). In 2021, he delivered a majestic performance in the final as BVB triumphed 4-1 over Leipzig. He played a key role in the first three goals and provided the assist for the fourth. Overall, 2020/21 was a good season for the BVB captain: Reus played in 32 of the club’s 34 league games - the last time the injury-plagued stalwart made so many appearances in a single season was in 2012/13 - and was involved in 16 goals (eight scored, eight assisted). 13 of these 16 goals came under the leadership of coach Edin Terzic.