After missing out on football for over five months, Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mario Gotze declared his recovery is on track and he will be returning to the pitch soon. 

The 25-year-old Gotze signed for Dortmund from Bayern Munich in July 2016, but was unable to hit top-form due to a series of injuries and in February 2017 it was revealed the diminutive midfielder was suffering from a metabolic disorder. 

The disorder was said to have been causing excessive fatigue and weight gain for the German, hampering his playing time at his second stint with his boyhood club. 

At Dortmund since the age of eight, Gotze was the apple of the club’s eye but an acrimonious transfer to arch-rivals Bayern Munich in 2013 soured relations with the Die Borussen faithful.

Under Pep Guardiola, Gotze’s career never truly took flight, as he struggled to break into Bayern’s  formidable starting XI.

And when the Catalan tactician left for Manchester City, Gotze pushed for a move back to Dortmund, eventually signing with them on a four-year contract. 

Gotze, who scored the winner for Germany in the 2014 FIFA World Cup final, uploaded a picture of himself with a lengthy caption in which he divulged details of his recovery process and thanked the fans, Dortmund’s management and his family members for the constant support. 

The message in full:
“Hello everyone, due to a metabolic disorder, I was unable to play football lately. During the last few months I have gone through a successful treatment and I am back on track now. Tomorrow I will start with the 3rd stage of my recovery programme. This means I will complete the performance test and begin training with the team soon. I am more than excited to be back in the stadium and on the training ground again. I am very proud of my BVB teammates and I am so happy they took home the DFB Cup. The pictures of all of you, the fans, celebrating in the city reminded me of my first triumph with the club. 

I would like to congratulate my teammates of the German national team for winning the Confederations Cup as well as the German U21 for their victory at the European Championships. 

I am extremely proud to be a member of the team and of the DFB. I would also like to wish my younger brother success on the U19 national team. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you!!

Last but not least, I would like to give a big thanks to all of my fans. You all have supported me so much during the last few months. Your messages and get-well wishes were motivating and greatly appreciated. Thanks to my team, my doctors, and my fitness coach, and all the other people who stuck by me. For all of the patience, support, and positive energy, thank you to my family and my fiancée @annkathrin_vida I have much to be thankful for. See you on the pitch! Best wishes, Mario.”