Borussia Dortmund: Marco Reus the most logical choice for captain

Marco Reus is my favorite player and the sole reason I fell in love with Borussia Dortmund. I think of Reus’ choice for captaincy as a logical step as well. When Marcel Schmelzer stepped down, no one seemed a more capable choice of wearing the armband than Reus.

Marco Reus has been through a lot at Borussia Dortmund over the years. The Borussia Dortmund talisman has been the only constant at the club since his return in 2012. Now he has finally been honored with the chance of being club captain. And few could argue that he does not deserve it.

Borussia Dortmund have had some prominent leaders on the pitch over the years. The armband has been worn proudly by the likes of Roman Weidenfeller, Sebastian Kehl and Matthias Sammer. All three respectable and good choices, but these are big cleats to fill for anyone else, as Marcel Schmezler found out last season.

By no means is Reus a bad choice for captain of Borussia Dortmund. Reus is a world class player when healthy and getting to witness his skill on the ball is mesmerizing. The key is the Germany international needs to be healthy. I’ve touched on his secondary position in the injured reserves in the past and how he still manages to be one of the best players after each return.

Marco Reus bleeds Black and Yellow and provided he can remain injury free, he will make a great captain for Borussia Dortmund. He is the most logical choice for the club and he can use it to mentor and help the very talented youngsters at Borussia Dortmund.

The “Other” Choices

Its hard to think of a better choice than Reus in Borussia Dortmund’s current roster. In general, the captain needs a commanding presence on and off the field. He must be someone who is experienced, influential, passionate, disciplined and vocal. This leaves the following possible players as alternate choices: Lukasz Piszczek, Nuri Sahin, Mario Gotze or Shinji Kagawa.

Piszczek is coming up to the tail end of his career as a player and suffered a massive injury last season. At 33, the Polish international is still a solid choice, but he will not start week in week out. After completing almost 9 seasons for the club, vice-captain is a much more fitting role for him though. Piszczek has always seemed like someone who doesn’t need an armband to be vocal or lead the team.

Nuri Sahin is the longest tenured player for Borussia Dortmund, even with his bouncing back and forth between clubs. The former Turkish international has never held the aura of a captain. The armband was figuratively too big for the midfielder.

Gotze is one of the other choices as captain, but that is if anyone is willing to look past the transfer to Bayern Munich. I think he fits well as the last resort for the job. It also wouldn’t be fair to give Gotze that added responsibility. There is already enough pressure on him after his failure to make it to Germany’s squad for the World Cup.

Kagawa is the other logical choice if Reus didn’t claim the position. Hands down, Kagawa is one of the most underrated players at the club. The Japanese midfielder has been at the club for a long time and always puts in a shift and even works to pump up the team from time to time. But, again it cannot be argued that he would have been a better pick than Reus.

Oh, Captain My Captain

Reus didn’t luck into the position by any means. The winger has shown great commitment to Borussia Dortmund over the years, when he could have easily earned more money elsewhere. The 29 year old has been through thick and thin with his boyhood club, and its about time that he gets rewarded with the armband.

Favre is smart; he was never going to choose any other player. He can’t expect a captain that doesn’t understand his philosophy to perform as intended. This leads to the current promotion for the winger because of how well the two connected in the past. Plus, this isn’t the first time Reus has captained The Black and Yellows.

Simply put, I didn’t see any surprise with this selection. I see it as destiny. His determination, loyalty, and commitment to Borussia Dortmund is nearly unrivaled. In a club that is currently devoid of leaders, Reus will now hold the responsibility of leading the others on the pitch. I truly hope that he outperforms all expectations this season and gives us some special moment as the Borussia Dortmund captain.