After only four months in the home of Hollywood, Marco Reus finally got his hands on his most desired possession; a league title.

The dynamic midfielder's glittering 12-year career at Borussia Dortmund saw him finish as Bundesliga runner-up a heartbreaking seven times.

But, under the lights in California, at the age of 35, Reus finally achieved his long-held goal, as he lifted the MLS Cup with new club LA Galaxy.

"I don't know if this is a Hollywood finale, but it is a big day," he admitted after the match. "You always work your whole career toward being successful, trying to reach as many finals as possible and then win."

"That didn't work out so much for me in Germany but as I said when I arrived, the goal was always to continue to be successful."

Injury could finally not deny Reus

While viewed as one of Dortmund's best-ever players, Reus' career was plagued by a number of serious injuries during his time playing at the Westfalenstadion.

Most notably he missed out on Germany's triumphant 2014 World Cup campaign with an ankle ligament tear. 

But, the challenges to remain fit impacted Reus' domestic career too. Despite the Black and Yellow having held a nine point lead in the first part of the 2018-19 season, a groin injury for Reus in February 2019 contributed to a meltdown in the league. 

The midfielder's two-game absence began a downward spiral that eventually led to Bayern Munich winning their seventh consecutive Bundesliga title in 2019.

Having moved this summer to the city where fairytales are created, Reus was determined not to see a repeat of the past but came agonizingly close to yet more déjà vu.

Being forced off at half-time of LA Galaxy's Western Conference final victory over the Seattle Sounders – a de-facto semi-final in Major League Soccer (MLS) - with an abductor problem, playing any part in the final was uncertain.

But, Reus would not be denied his chance to be on the pitch to enjoy a final whistle as a victor. After coming on for the final 15 minutes, Reus lifted his arms in joy as his side defeated the New York Red Bulls 2-1 in front of almost 27,000 jubilant fans.

"If it had been a normal game, I wouldn't have played - not at all," he admitted after the victory. "In the end, I didn’t care [about the injury]."

Edited by: Rana Taha