Now plying his trade with LA Galaxy in the United States, Marco Reus has enjoyed a stellar career in professional football, one that spans almost 20 years. The German made his senior debut in 2007 and after two years with Rot Weiss Ahlem, Reus joined Borussia Monchengladbach where, across two-and-a-half seasons, he established himself as one of the Bundesliga’s most-promising talents.
In the 2012 winter transfer window, Reus signed for Borussia Dortmund, his hometown club, where he spent a decade as a youth player. Reus would spend the next 12 years of his career with the club, becoming one of their greatest-ever players and a figure that remains popular amongst fans.
Reus helped Dortmund win two DFB-Pokal cups in his stint with the club and also fired them to two Champions League finals which, coincidentally, came in his first and last seasons with the team. For all of his quality, many questions have been asked about what else could have been for Reus, were it not for the injuries that he has had to battle in his career.
An LA Galaxy player since 2024, after leaving Dortmund upon his contract’s expiration, the former Germany international has already helped Galaxy win a major honour, with Reus and his team lifting the MLS Cup in the year of his arrival.
Having been playing since the mid-2000s, Reus has seen a near innumerable amount of players come through the ranks in his own time as a professional. Back in 2013, speaking to The Guardian, the German revealed which talent, at the time, he felt was one of the very best.
‘A Perfect Player’
Nothing but praise from Reus for Englishman
By the 2012/13 season, midfielder Jack Wilshere had become an established part of the Arsenal first team under Arsene Wenger. One of Arsenal’s youngest-ever players, Wilshere, who was just 20 years old in 2012, debuted for the Gunners in 2008 and swiftly showed that he had the potential to reach the very top, something that Reus evidently noticed, the German saying:
“A perfect player. Boy, he’s f****** good. He’s so quick and skilful with the ball at his feet.”
For all of Wilshere’s ability, however, the English international faced noticeable struggles with injury, which had become apparent even by the 2012/13 campaign. When fit and firing, Wilshere was one of the Premier League’s best midfield operators, but as the years went on, such availability became less and less.
Jack Wilshere Club Career Stats
Playing Career
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Yellow Cards
Straight Red Cards
Major Honours Won
Wilshere spent a full decade at Arsenal, leaving the club in 2018 and joining West Ham as a free agent, where he played for two further seasons. After short stints with Bournemouth and Danish side AGF in 2021 and 2022 respectively, Wilshere announced his retirement at just 30 years old.
There will forever be question marks over Wilshere’s career and consideration given to the player he could have become were it not for his injury troubles. For a player such as Reus to acknowledge your technical prowess at such a young age, however, is a testament to the sheer brilliance of Wilshere when he was at his best.
( All stats are fromTransfermarktand are correct as of 16/06/2025 )
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