Marco Reus enjoyed a dream final home game for Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, captaining the side and scoring a superb free-kick in a 4-0 Bundesliga win over relegated Darmstadt.
He arrived at the stadium over 5 hours before the game to soak it all in and before kick-off the fans unveiled a huge number 11 jersey in tribute to the 34-year-old, who is leaving after 12 years at the club.
Reus received a standing ovation from 80,000 fans and a guard of honour from his team-mates when substituted on 80 minutes. After the game, he had a lap of honour with his children and was thrown in the air by the Dortmund squad. Later he climbed into the stand and celebrated with the ultras.
"You are the reason I came to training everyday," Reus, who suffered a series of serious injuries while at Dortmund and therefore missed Germany's 2014 World Cup triumph, told the fans.
The Dortmund-born star played his 294th Bundesliga match for the club, where he has scored 120 goals. In total he has made 427 appearances for Dortmund and is fourth on the club's all-time list.
In addition to Reus, Marius Wolf, Mateu Morey and backroom coach Otto Addo were bid farewell by club management. Addo will become national coach of Ghana while Reus, Wolf and Morey's future clubs are still unknown. Reus has been linked with Major League Soccer in the US.
The one thing missing from Reus' career in black and yellow is a real major title, having only lifted two German Cups with the club. He has the chance to go out in style with the Champions League final against Real Madrid on June 1 in London's Wembley Stadium.
"Me and the guys down there will give everything we've got in a fortnight to win that thing," Reus said via a microphone as he sat among supporters.
