Goetze returns to Dortmund with plenty to prove

BERLIN: Germany’s World Cup winner Mario Goetze (pic) relished his return to Borussia Dortmund’s pre-season training for the first time after three barren years at Bayern Munich.

Alongside fellow new signings Andre Schuerrle and Raphael Guerreiro, Goetze was put through his paces with a series of fitness tests at Bochum University by Borussia’s backroom staff.

The trio joined a group of six players returning from their holidays after international duty including Poland’s Lukasz Piszczek, Julian Weigl and South Korean Park Joo-ho.

”Finally, let’s go,” wrote Goezte on his Twitter account under a picture of the Germany star on a treadmill.

His first training session with the full Dortmund squad takes place today with Borussia to host his former club Bayern for the German Super Cup on Aug 14.

Goezte left Dortmund for arch-rivals Bayern at the end of the 2012-13 season and lived up to his billing as a rising Germany star by volleying home Schuerrle’s cross in extra-time for the winning goal in the 2014 World Cup final against Argentina.

But he has endured three unproductive years at Bayern, mainly spent on the bench or injured, having failed to impress coach Pep Guardiola or hold down a first-team place, despite collecting three backto-back Bundesliga winner’s medals.

Bayern sold him back to Dortmund for £26mil (RM139mil) last month and the 24-year-old has plenty to prove again in the black and yellow shirt. — AFP