Süle grateful to Niko Kovac for last appearance at Signal Iduna Park

Niklas Süle played his 300th Bundesliga game as he returned from a knee injury to play one last time at Signal Iduna Park. The five-time Bundesliga champion will hang up his boots at the end of the season.

"I'm incredibly happy. The fact that the coach gave me a few minutes again is incredibly nice," said Süle regarding his last appearance in Dortmund. The defender made only 110 appearances for the Black and Yellows over four seasons.

"You have to be honest. How I was treated today is not so common. The expectation was a bit different. After four years, it did not work out for various reasons," reflected the former Bayern Munich center-back with full honesty.

“I asked the referee not to whistle until I've brought Niki (Süle),” said Niko Kovac after the game. The referee Patrick Ittrich will also retire after the end of the season. “Niki knew I'd bring him. He deserves that because he's a great boy. He had a great career. Now I'm giving him his retirement. I’m wishing him all the best. He's going to golf a lot and probably travel the world.”