THEY still lie 32 points adrift of runaway German Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich, but Borussia Dortmund have more reason to cheer now than at Christmas.

Juergen Klopp's side, who won back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012, have moved from the foot of the table to a more respectable 10th place, six points clear of the relegation zone. And according to club icon Karl-Heinz Riedle, there is one man to thank for that, and it is not charismatic coach Klopp.

"Marco Reus has turned their season around - being fit and signing a new long-term contract has rejuvenated the team, you can see the team having more confidence on the field because their star player is on form and happy," the 49-year-old World Cup winner told The Straits Times during an interview at the Fullerton Hotel on Tuesday.

Riedle, who also played for Liverpool and Fulham in England and Lazio in Italy, is in town as part of Dortmund's Legends Tour. The first team, headlined by Reus and Japanese playmaker Shinji Kagawa, are expected to play friendly matches in Malaysia and Japan in July.