"We're finally back together" - both Marco Reus and Lucien Favre will be champing at the bit ahead of the 2018/19 Bundesliga season. - © © imago / Ulmer
"We're finally back together" - both Marco Reus and Lucien Favre will be champing at the bit ahead of the 2018/19 Bundesliga season. - © © imago / Ulmer

Marco Reus on new Borussia Dortmund coach Lucien Favre: "Probably the best coach I've ever had"

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Marco Reus is champing at the bit to get back to work with Lucien Favre at Borussia Dortmund next season, as he reflects on his previous experience of playing under his future club coach.

Reus produced one of his best seasons to date when he played for Favre at Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2011/12, scoring 18 goals in 32 Bundesliga games, and the prospect of playing for the Swiss coach again next season is one the Germany international relishes.

"I've had quite a few club coaches and among them, [Favre] is probably the best I've ever had," Reus told the German Football Federation's website. "Of course a lot of time has passed since we worked together at Gladbach. It was great to see back then how much in detail he could work as a coach.

Watch: Many of Reus' best Bundesliga goals came under Favre at Gladbach!

"Both in the dressing room and on the field, where he did everything himself and had total control over proceedings. I hope Lucien Favre still works the same way now, and then we're bound to get back on track with Dortmund.

"Reus earned his move to Dortmund after that impressive season under Favre, where his best single-season haul to date is 16 goals, from the 2013/14 campaign. Injuries have limited his opportunities in each of the past four seasons, but he is now looking forward to the future after recovering from his latest, hardest setback.

"I've had quite a few injuries, but this partial rupture of the cruciate ligaments was my toughest," Reus said of the injury he picked up almost a year ago to the day – on 29 May 2017 – which ruled him out until February. "I just tried to take thing step by step and it got to the stage when I had to get away with my girlfriend to take my mind off it.

"Probably the best coach I've ever had" - Marco Reus' praise for Lucien Favre is endless. - © gettyimages / Christof Koepsel

"It was five months [before I kicked a ball again]. It took a few days before you can get used to playing with a ball again and rediscover your timing and rhythm. But for the heart and mind, it was a truly amazing moment. I probably could have done with another four weeks, but I had a good feeling, and it all worked out well."

Indeed, Reus returned to score seven goals in 11 games at the end of 2017/18, missing just two due to a muscular injury. Now he is training hard to fulfil his dream of playing in a World Cup after that was taken from him agonisingly just 24 hours before Germany were due to depart for Brazil four years ago.

WATCH: Marco Reus and the injuries which have shaped him!

"I definitely want to help the team – on the field," he said. "I'm going to be 29 when the tournament starts, and I know what I can do."

So too does Favre, who will also be looking forward to working with Reus again next season, even if a successful World Cup campaign would mean they would not be reunited until late in July. But as they say, it would be better late than never.

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