“It’s a good sign if people are sad to see you go”

“It was incredibly emotional,” said Groß on the sidelines of Werder’s post-season friendly at Landesliga outfit BV Garrel. While many of the assembled fans may have been keen to see Groß take to the pitch at the Goldschmaus-Stadion, he remained on the bench throughout; his final minutes in a Werder shirt were always destined to be on the Weser.

Even Groß’s teammates had considerable difficulty staying stoic as his playing career drew to a close. Mitchell Weiser admitted that he and his fellow Green-Whites found themselves shedding a tear or two when the final whistle blew against Bochum. “The moment was very special,” recalled Groß. “It’s a good sign if people are sad to see you go.”

That was far from the only memorable moment from the twilight years of the Bremen native’s career. After making his Bundesliga bow at the age of 30, Groß went on to make 83 appearances in the top-flight, including last year’s visit to Berlin to face Hertha BSC, when the Green-Whites were backed by over 20,000 fans in the capital. “What I’ve experienced is totally unique,” reflects Groß. “No matter what we went through, the support was always there. I’ll always have fond memories of Werder.”

Groß hopes his now-former teammates will continue to receive that same treatment in the future. He now plans to spend some time travelling before taking up a scouting post at Bayer Leverkusen. “I’m just going to enjoy some peace and quiet for now,” says Groß. “I’ll look back and reflect on all that’s happened.” And when he does, there will certainly be plenty of fond memories.