Gomez relishing Stuttgart return

Mario Gomez is relishing the chance to return to Stuttgart after re-signing with his boyhood club from Wolfsburg on a two-and-a-half-year contract.

After coming through the youth system at Stuttgart, the striker went on to score 63 Bundesliga goals for the club, and was integral in their title triumph in 2006-07.

Gomez has since reached 155 goals from 281 appearances in the German top flight after continuing his career with Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg, and hopes to add to that tally in the second half of the current campaign as Stuttgart look to pull away from the relegation zone.

The 32-year-old will make his second debut against Hertha Berlin after the mid-season break, and Gomez cannot wait to get started again.

"I am very happy to be back home where everything started for me," he told the club's official website.

German international @Mario_Gomez makes an immediate move from VfL Wolfsburg to #VfB Stuttgart, signing on with his home-club until 2020. https://t.co/OzPIGz44zG pic.twitter.com/bk4pO7gobw

— VfB Stuttgart_int (@VfB_int) 22 December 2017

"Especially in the last few days I have felt more and more how much I want to go back to Stuttgart. To the club that trained me, with whom I probably experienced the craziest time with the totally unexpected win of the German championship 2007. To the club that made me as a player to become who I was and am.

"I had already said at the international match against Norway in September that it is very special for me to play in this stadium. 

"Of course, I know that the expectations are high and the situation is very challenging. It means from now on we have to give everything for the league, to play a good second half and in addition for me, my goal is to reach the World Cup.

"I look forward to the club, the city, to the people, to the environment, to my family. I cannot wait until it really starts."