Marco Reus, the Derrick Rose of the Soccer

The Tragedy of Two MVPs

It truly is tragic. Once labeled the “future of German soccer,” Marco Reus has lived up to that hype only in spurts, as injuries consistently prevent him from showing the world his full potential.

In many ways, Reus is essentially the Derrick Rose of soccer and there are more similarities than you would initially think.

The D-Rose Saga

Derrick Rose, who may be unknown to many soccer fans, was once the best basketball player on the planet. When in college at Memphis, Rose led his team to the NCAA Championship game and performed phenomenally well in the championship game.

After one year of college, Rose was the number one pick of the 2008 NBA Draft, going to his hometown team, the Chicago Bulls. Since the Windy City team selected Rose, comparisons to ‘His Airness,’ Michael Jordan, began to become an everyday discussion.

Immediately from the start, Rose was one of the best players in the NBA. In his first season, Rose was named Rookie of the Year. In his second his season, Rose earned his first All-Star appearance. In his third season, Rose rewrote the history books.

CHICAGO, IL – MAY 04: Derrick Rose /

At 22-year-old, Rose became the youngest player in history to win the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award. At that moment, everything looked to be in the hands of Rose as he was the next big star in the NBA.

However, every Rose has its thorns.

All things tragically began to buckle for Rose in the season following his MVP campaign. In the fourth quarter of a blowout win in the NBA Playoffs, Rose tragically tore his ACL in his left knee. Due to this injury, Rose missed the entire following season as he endured the slow and tedious recovery process.

CHICAGO, IL – MARCH 05: Derrick Rose /

After returning from injury the following season, Rose injured his right meniscus in a regular season game, causing him to miss the rest of the season. In the season following that injury, Rose was plagued by knee injuries and has never fully returned to his prime form.

GDANSK, POLAND – JUNE 23: Marco Reus of Germany attends a press conference at the Germany press centre on June 23, 2012 in Gdansk, Poland. (Photo by Joern Pollex/Getty Images) /

Rolls-‘Reus,’ The Future Star of German Soccer

In 2009, Reus signed his first professional top-flight contract with Borussia Monchengladbach. From that moment, the 20-year-old German catapulted his career, becoming a scoring sensation for the team in black and white.

When he was 22-years-old, Reus won the Bundesliga Best Player Award, Bundesliga Breakthrough Player Award, and a spot on the Bundesliga Team of the Season. Following that, Reus made a move to his hometown club, Borussia Dortmund.

After Reus’ fantastic seasons at Monchengladbach, Reus began to be labeled as the next star German forward. Whether it was his sloppy, bleach blonde hair or his stylish tattoos, people adored the young Dortmund native. With a move to Dortmund, everyone expected Reus to transform into the next German superstar forward.

Once at Dortmund, Reus savored every moment of his first two seasons with Dortmund and showed promises of living up to hype. However, injury problems soon began to arise for Dortmund’s ‘Golden Boy’ and have never stopped.

LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 25: Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund is injured during the UEFA Champions League final match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern Muenchen at Wembley Stadium on May 25, 2013 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images) /

Since joining Dortmund in 2012, Reus has missed 68 games due to injury according to Transfermarkt. Every time Reus gets back on the field, he shows fans why Bloomberg rated him the fourth best player in Europe in 2013. But, those moments of glory are only shown in spurts, as Reus’ injury nightmare seems only to get worse season by season.

MADRID, SPAIN – DECEMBER 07: Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund celebrates scoring his sides second goal during the UEFA Champions League Group F match between Real Madrid CF and Borussia Dortmund at the Bernabeu on December 7, 2016 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images) /

The Similarities

Like Rose, Reus’ career lines up eerily similar to the Chicago native’s career. Here are some commonalities between the two’s stories.

Both played for their hometown club
Both have won an MVP or Best Player Award
Both have sustained multiple leg injuries and haven’t played a full season since their MVP seasons
Both are 28-years-old
Both have never won a championship
Both have been on the cover of a video game (Rose-NBA 2K13; Reus-FIFA 17)
Both are known for their explosiveness and speed

LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 16: Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund takes part in a drill during a training session ahead of the UEFA Europa League round of 16 second leg match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Borussia Dortmund at White Hart Lane on March 16, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Morton/Getty Images) /

Injury-Free? Doubtful

It is tragic, and a bit creepy, that Reus and Rose both have had the same type of career at almost identical times. For both, their ceiling is higher than virtually every player in their respective sport. But, injuries are preventing both Rose and Reus from becoming legends of the game.

Many ask, can’t they just get healthy? It isn’t as simple as flipping a switch. Once someone injures something in their body, the chances of a reoccurring injury significantly increase. Additionally, with both players being explosive and dynamic players, the pressure put on their body is high. Therefore, their injury risk is higher than most because of their elite physical abilities.

For all fans sake, everyone wants both Rose and Reus to be healthy. But, sometimes that is not how the cookie crumbles.

Home/Borussia Dortmund News