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Borussia Dortmund star Karim Adeyemi has lifted the lid on the story behind his special shin pads, which reference the popular Anime series One Piece.
Die Borussen are on the verge of ending Bayern Munich's ten-year hegemony in the Bundesliga. Edin Terzic's side sit top atop the standings ahead of the final game of the season, enjoying a two-point lead over the Bavarians.
A win in their final game of the season will see Borussia Dortmund win the Bundesliga for the first time since 2012. They host FSV Mainz at home on Saturday (May 27), while Bayern face FC Koln. BvB will also win the league by matching Bayern's matchday 34 result.
Adeyemi, who joined Dortmund from Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg for a deal worth €38 million last summer, has been important to the team's title push. The attacker has six goals and five assists in 12 Bundesliga games since the turn of the year.
The Germany international became a talking point among fans with a passion for Anime when a picture of his shin pads went viral. The guards feature Monkey D. Luffy, the lead character in the Japanese Anime television series One Piece.
Adeyemi has said that he likes playing with the said shin pads, as Luffy is his favorite character from One Piece.
The former Salzburg man added that they were specifically designed for him and that they feature the flags of Nigeria and Romania, where his father and mother are respectively from.
"They are shin pads designed specifically for me," Adeyemi told the Bundesliga's official newsletter. "I have the national flags of my heritage on them - one pair with Nigeria and the other with Romania. I also have the character Luffy from the One Piece anime on them. He is my favorite character from the series, so I always play with these shin pads."
One Piece was first aired in 1999 and has released 20 seasons, with its latest episode coming out in Japanese as recently as May 21. The show stars Luffy, who gains elastic abilities after unintentionally consuming a devil fruit and sets off on a quest for a treasure.
How did Karim Adeyemi fare in his last game for Borussia Dortmund?
Karim Adeyemi's last appearance for Borussia Dortmund came against FC Augsburg in the Bundesliga on Sunday (May 21). He helped his team win 3-0 but was not involved in any of the goals. The German started in attack alongside Sebastien Haller and Donyell Malen and was taken off in the 72nd minute.
Although Adeyemi has been in fine form since January, he had a quiet outing against Augsburg. He registered only 32 touches, the least by a BvB outfield starter. The 21-year-old also did not have any shot on target.
The winger, though, completed five of seven dribbles attempted, which was the most by any player in the game. He also won eight duels, which was only matched by Mats Hummels. Adeyemi also made one tackle and interception apiece.
