Marco Reus says he always knew Jude Bellingham was ‘special’ and talks about life in LA | OneFootball

Marco Reus lauded Jude Bellingham and called him ‘special’, whilst detailing exactly what he saw from the Englishman when he first joined Borussia Dortmund.

Reus, 35, is one of Dortmund’s all-time greats, and saw Bellingham join the club from Birmingham City when he was just 17.

“I would say this guy was 17 or 18 when he came to Dortmund. I saw immediately he had the strength and power and quality to play for this club. He wanted to play always and give his life for the club. I saw immediately he had big talent and a big heart. Now you can see it in Madrid he has huge quality. The stats speak for themselves, especially last year.”

Talking about Bellingham’s self confidence, even when he first joined, Reus said: “He was not scared to train or play with us.

“He’s special and the people of Dortmund loved him because he was working hard and people really appreciated those efforts. He showed it every game and every training. He’s a special guy for sure.”

Reus was managed by Jurgen Klopp, and he spoke at length about the respect he has for the manager: “For Klopp, to be in a club for six or seven years like he was in Dortmund, Liverpool and Mainz, he gives his all to all the clubs. He’s a good guy. He helped me a lot during my career.”

Explaining why he thinks Klopp has taken a break from management, Reus said: “He was a manager of three or four clubs for 16 or 17 years. He always said his energy level had to be at the top to train a club. He changed all the clubs (that he managed). Mainz, Dortmund Liverpool, none were at the top when he arrived, but he changed small things that made a huge difference. Big, big respect to him.”

Having been used to German football culture and winning things at Dortmund, Reus spoke about the differences he has found in America: “The guys in the dressing room, and the fans helped me a lot. The atmosphere in the stadium was brilliant during play-off season.

“You cannot compare Dortmund and LA (as cities). Dortmund is a football community with hard-workers, here is different but the fans love to see you give everything for the club. That is my goal to give everything to the club, and win the Championship again for this city.”