Gio Reyna is excited about the upcoming season with Borussia Dortmund after scoring his first Bundesliga goal on Matchday 1. - © Lars Baron/Bundesliga/Bundesliga Collection via Getty Images
Gio Reyna is excited about the upcoming season with Borussia Dortmund after scoring his first Bundesliga goal on Matchday 1. - © Lars Baron/Bundesliga/Bundesliga Collection via Getty Images
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Gio Reyna: "We have a really exciting group at Borussia Dortmund this year"

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Gio Reyna says Borussia Dortmund have "a really exciting group this year" after scoring his first ever Bundesliga goal in his side's 3-0 opening win over Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday.

The 17-year-old began his second competitive game of the season, having also started and found the net in the first round of the DFB Cup on Monday.

He needed just 35 minutes to get on the scoresheet again at the Signal Iduna Park, angling a shot past Yann Sommer to break the deadlock.

The American was heavily involved in BVB's second goal too, driving forward from midfield before being brought down inside the area for a penalty converted by Erling Haaland, who later rounded out the scoring following a free-flowing counter-attack led by Jadon Sancho.

Reyna was understandably all smiles after the final whistle. "It's a really good start to the season," he told Sky Germany. "We have a lot of young guys and a great balance of older guys, or veterans, too, so it was a really exciting game. And it was great to have the fans back. To score and help the team makes it even better."

Not only that, but Reyna pointed to the number of gifted youngsters in the Dortmund first team as a factor in their success: "I think it's so fun to play with guys who are similar to my age in Jude [Bellingham], Jadon and Erling. There's a lot of energy and a lot of excitement for us and for the fans to watch. I think it's so fun to have all of us together and a really exciting group to have this year. Now we just have to kick on and keep working."

Watch: Haaland on Reyna: "He's the American Dream"

Sancho and Haaland are both now 20 – an age gap big enough for Reyna to be more pleased than most when Dortmund signed fellow 17-year-old Bellingham.

"When I first found out Jude was coming I was so excited," he said. "More for off-the-field reasons to be honest, because there's a few years difference between me and Jadon and Erling, so to have somebody my age, who's still a kid who you can have fun with is amazing.

"He's a really nice kid. We like to joke a lot and we make fun of each other. Overall as a player and off the field as well, it's so nice to have him here with me."

That much was clear to see on Saturday, with Bellingham providing the assist with a neat flick of the boot to tee up Reyna to score.

Watch: Adams on Reyna: "He's unbelievable for his age!"

And having now had a taste of finding the net in the top flight, the soon-to-be USA international is eager for more this season.

"I just want to help the team in any way possible," he concluded. "I'm ready to have a bigger role and I think you've seen that in the first couple of games. I've started both of them. It's going to be a tough season. Any way I can score goals or get assists is the main way I can help, but also any way to try to win to help the team."