Bayern's Alaba laments Gotze departure

A day after World Cup winner Mario Gotze swapped one German giant for another, former Bayern Munich teammate David Alaba is coming to terms with the loss of an "important player."

Gotze finalised a return to Borussia Dortmund on Thursday after an erratic three-year spell with the Bavarians, and while the attacking midfielder is elated with the move, Alaba is ruing his exit.

"In the last few years he was bit unlucky with his injuries," Alaba told Goal, courtesy of Sky Sports on Friday.

This is certainly an understatement from the Austrian international, as Gotze has endured seven separate injuries in the last three years including an adductor issue that saw him miss a significant chunk of last season.

Related: Gotze completes Dortmund homecoming from Bayern

After making no fewer than 27 league appearances in his first two years at Bayern, 2015-16 was one to forget for Gotze, who started just 11 times, pairing three goals with four assists for Pep Guardiola's lot.

When he was healthy, he was an influential figure despite languishing behind several other players in Guardiola's pecking order.

"But I think every time he was on the pitch he always tried to give his best," Alaba added.

"His statistics show us that he was an important player for us."

Gotze spent eight years in Dortmund's youth system before making the jump to first team football in 2009. He made 83 appearances for the club before moving to Bayern on a €37-million transfer ahead of the 2013-14 campaign.