Marco Reus to leave Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season

Marco Reus will be leaving Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season, calling time on an incredible 12-year spell with the club.

After months of speculation, the decision has finally been made official. Borussia Dortmund have announced that the contract of Marco Reus will not be extended when it expires at the end of the season. The 34 year old will part ways with the Black and Yellows, 12 years after joining the club.

Reus, who has made a total of 424 appearances for Borussia Dortmund so far, is the club's second highest goalscorer of all time. He has 168 goals and 128 assists to his name across all competitions, and is behind only Adi Preißler in the club's list of leading goalscorers. Reus has also won the Bundesliga player of the award on three occasions, and led BVB to two DFB-Pokal titles.

Hans-Joachim Watzke paid tribute to Reus after announcing his departure. "Marco Reus is one of the club's greatest players. He was born in Dortmund, spent almost ten years playing in our youth academy, twelve years with the first-team and was the captain for a long time. His connection with Borussia Dortmund is extraordinary. We wish Marco all the best for his future."

The writing appeared to be on the wall for Marco Reus, who has endured a difficult season due to a lack of playing time. Now, the decision has been made not to extend his contract. There was speculation that he may look to retire at the end of the season. But it appears that he will play on and look for a new challenge this summer. For now, he has his sights set on winning the UEFA Champions League with Borussia Dortmund.

"I am incredibly grateful and proud of my time at Borussia Dortmund," Reus said. "I've spent more than half of my life at this club and enjoyed every day, although there have of course also been difficult moments. I already know that it will be difficult for me to say goodbye at the end of the season. Nevertheless, I am glad that there is now clarity and that we can concentrate fully on the last few important games. We have a big goal in sight. To do this, we will need the support of our amazing fans, to whom I would like to express my sincere thanks for their incredible support over the years."