A special era is coming to an end
Marco Reus (35), a former German national soccer team player, will complete his 12-year accompaniment with Borussia Dortmund.
"We have agreed not to extend our contract with Royce, whose contract expires at the end of this season," Dortmund said on its official website on the 3rd. "The special era of Royce will come to an end this summer."
Royce said through the club, "I am grateful and proud to have a special time at Dortmund. I spent more than half of my life at this club. There were difficult moments, but I enjoyed every moment."
Born in Dortmund, Royce spent a total of 21 years in Dortmund uniforms, from his youth to his professional career.
Having grown up with Dortmund's youth team, Royce joined Dortmund in 2012 after playing for Lott Weiss Allen and Borussia Mönchengladbach (Germany). Royce scored 168 goals in 424 matches, but failed to reach the top of the league as he was the runner-up in the Bundesliga only seven times. Dortmund has failed to win this season by ranking fifth so far.
However, Royce performed at the top of his list, including three Bundesliga players of the year and two German players of the year for Dortmund.
Royce will now make his final attempt wearing a Dortmund uniform. Dortmund is currently in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. Dortmund beat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the first leg of the semifinal, aiming for a place in the finals.
"Dortmund has big goals in mind and is focusing on achieving them. We need fans' support to achieve our goals," Royce said, appealing for support for the rest of the season.
Meanwhile, Major League Soccer (MLS) or Turkiye is being discussed as Royce's next destination.