Borussia Dortmund forward Marco Reus says he would gladly give up all his wealth to be free of injuries.
The 28-year-old has been blighted by fitness problems in recent years and is not expected to return to action until the early part of 2018 after tearing his cruciate ligament in last season’s DFB-Pokal final.
Reus has revealed the emotional toll of trying to battle back to fitness once more and says he would trade his money for the chance to play regularly again.
“The tears came again two or three days later when I went through it again in my mind,” he told GQ when asked about the knee injury he sustained in the cup victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in May.
“To be alone, working your way back is the most demanding part. I was really fed up after three weeks. It’s a brutal mental test because you always have to work on your own.
“As top players, we earn a lot of money, but sometimes we pay a hefty price with our health. I would give away all the money to be healthy again, to be able to do my job. To do what I love: to play football.”
Reus has been at Dortmund since signing from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2012 and admits he is considering the prospect of moving elsewhere, with his contract due to expire in 2019.
“There are four or five international clubs who interest me,” he said. “On May 31 next year, I will turn 30. That would be my last big contract and a final opportunity to try something different.
“I have to be honest and fair and say I don’t know where I’ll end up. At the moment, I’m very happy in Dortmund and not thinking about what happens after 2019. But of course, the time will come and then I will sit down and calmly make a decision.”
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