Can Marco Reuss finally fulfil his potential?
Named Footballer of the Year in Germany in 2012, Marco Reus can be described as one of the most talented forwards of his generation.
His 2012 season was also his most successful (18 goals and 8 assists), helping his club at the time, Borussia Monchengladbach, finish 4th in the Bundesliga and secure a UEFA Champions League spot for the following season. But, as good and promising a player he was, Reus was also unlucky through injuries, missing both the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016. Now, at the age of 29, he has only had 34 appearances for his country, including playing in the disappointing 2018 World Cup campaign.
His injuries not only affected his international career, but have had a huge impact at club level, and prevented him from achieving his full potential. Both national coach, Joachim Löw, and Dortmund CEO, Hans-Joachim Watzke had nothing but praise for the young star, hoping he would be the defining player of his generation. Löw expressed his admiration for Reus in an interview with the Guardian, saying that he is fast like a rocket and an incredibly skillful and an intelligent player. Reus has also remained resilient in the face of injury, which only strengthened his status as a heroic symbol of how unforgiving football can be. As a result, his popularity only increased.
In 2016, despite previous injuries, with impressive performances both at home and in Europe, Reus was made captain of Dortmund. That same year, his popularity was at its zenith when he became the face of FIFA 17, beating Eden Hazard, James Rodriguez and Anthony Martial to the cover. EA Sport’s senior producer Nick Channon told Sportskeeda that Reus won due to the fact he played for a great club and also because he was very popular among FIFA players. Channon also noted how, at the time, Reus joined an elite group of international football stars who had previously appeared on the cover of FIFA over the years and had represented the franchise globally.
Since FIFA’s inception in 1994, there has been an influx of football games vying to tap into the lucrative gaming market. Digital platform FoxyCasino is well known for its sports themed slot games and one of its most popular is the Striker Goes Wild title. Looking to tap into football’s global fan base, it targets sports fans and the online mobile gaming community. This only goes to show how large the market is for football fans who enjoy the sport on digital platforms, and it demonstrates why the announcement of the FIFA cover star is considered one of the biggest events in sports gaming, and a defining one for Reus.
The additional exposure due to the FIFA cover could not make up for suffering injury after injury, which has plagued Reus almost his entire footballing career. Yet while many fans ask what could have been, These Football Times believes that Reus is not facing the obituary to his career. At 29 he still has many seasons left in him, and many footballers enjoyed some of their best years in their 30s. Despite his unfortunate luck, Reus recently signed a contract extension to 2023 with Dortmund, proving how much faith the club has in him and his abilities. The coming season will be a defining one for his career and if he believes in himself as much, it could mean finally achieving the potential, which he so deserves.
For more local and international features, check out We Are Brighton regularly
