Marco Reus.

Marco Reus.

Where do I begin?

Loyal? Captain? Faithful? Teacher?

To many of us Dortmund fans, Marco Reus is the man who made us fans of the club. He spent 22 years with us, from youth ranks to the first team, and almost every moment in between. Not all of us have seen the whole journey, but that is okay.

We saw what we could, and each time, we were mesmerized. Mesmerized by his goal scoring ability, his vision, his off the ball movement, and all other fancy football terms. He is undoubtedly the best to ever wear the black and yellow, to don the schwarz-gelb, to play in the Westfalenstadion. He is the kind of player that as a child, we would stay up late to watch YouTube highlight compilations of, just to rewatch his magic.

His aesthetics aren’t typically what he is known for, though. What has always defined his career to non Dortmund supporters has been his loyalty to the club, his ever lasting trust in us. From when he renewed his contract when we were in the relegation zone, to when he stuck by us after each and every lost game, ruined DFB Pokal competitions, titles that slipped through our fingers by just a hair, and most recently, our second place finish in the UCL final, he always dusted himself off and told us that he would always stand with us through our struggles.

Never considering a move to Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, or any other club while in his prime and their peak, he solidified himself as the best player to grace a “second rate team in the farmers league,” as so many doubters liked to put it. He had raised the Dortmund level so much, showed his abilities, his resilience, and faithfulness to the badge. Each time an elite club came asking for his services, the answer was always the same: “No, I want to stay at Dortmund,” or, “No amount of money will make me leave.” He has become synonymous with Borussia Dortmund. When people ask what’s so special about this club, the answer is will always be, “Marco Reus. He is Dortmund.”

Now he is leaving. He isn’t leaving in the way any of us wanted, no UCL, no title, but he leaves as our biggest ever legend. He wasn’t even the one to make the choice, which saddens us all, but like all good things, his time at Dortmund must come to an end.

He may not have as many trophies as Robert Lewandowski, or the pure skill of Messi, or the presence of Ronaldo, but he’s still just as memorable as them. When looking at lists of the best players of our generation his name will always be on the list.

Thank you for everything, Marco. I hope I’ll see you at the club again one day.