Every man longs to go home – especially if he’s been working abroad for over a decade. Footballer Lukasz Piszczek is no different. The 36-year-old Polish defender often spoke about his desire to play for his first club again – and his wish has come true.He was Jurgen Klopp’s key man as Dortmund raced to two straight Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012, he won the German Cup three times and even played a Champions League final. Now, he returns in his native country to play in the fourth division for the club where it all started for him – Goczalkowice-Zdroj.Po 14 latach spędzonych w Bundeslidze wraca tam gdzie wszystko się zaczęło…@BVB ➡️ @lksgoczalkowice @piszczek_lp26 witamy w domu i życzymy powodzenia! 🔵⚪ #GOLczałkowice #piszczek pic.twitter.com/gHF6VnvkUV— LKS Goczałkowice-Zdrój (@lksgoczalkowice) June 25, 2021 Since he was a child, Lukasz has had a strong bond with this little club. His father Kazimierz, who was the team’s coach in the early 1990s, brought his young son for training – and the boy liked it. Nine years later, still only a 16-year-old, Lukasz started to play for Gwarek, another amateur club whose main aim is to develop young players. And, boy, did they develop Piszczek!Our man was a class of his own playing against other young players in Poland and was spotted by German scouts of Hertha BSC in 2004. A Polish boy was going to Bundesliga. The Berlin club loaned him to Polish top-tier club Zaglebie Lubin to gain senior football experience and it paid off. Unfortunately, injuries hampered Lukasz’s career in the German capital and he was released in 2010. Borussia Dortmund got a real bargain when they picked up the free agent Piszczek. They probably didn’t realize that they were getting a decade-long servant who would become a legend among the supporters. In total, the boy from Poland made nearly 400 appearances for the Yellow-Blacks, with the final one of them being a German Cup final which they won. What a way to sign out!Dortmund fans thanked Lukasz for 11 years of service (©AFP)However, this is not the end for Lukasz Piszczek. He’s now reunited with his father, who has become Goczalkowice-Zdroj’s vide-president. We’ve seen some 36-year-olds playing at the highest level and there is no doubt that Lukasz could still earn a lot of money playing for a bigger club – but he decided to follow his heart and return home.Local boy Lukasz will now play for his first club and also help develop a new generation of young footballers who could go on to represent Poland and maybe shine at some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
