Happy 40th birthday, Kies!

Has it really been six years already? When Stefan Kießling wore the Cross on his chest for the final time on 12 May 2018, the fans at the BayArena produced a tifo as a farewell gift, which brought a tear not only to his eyes. Next to an oversized depiction of him were two words in white letters on a black and red background: Thank you, Stefan. After 12 years as a Bayer 04 player, 444 competitive appearances and 162 goals, Kies ended his glittering career with a 3-2 win over Hannover 96. And it seems like it was only yesterday.

One reason for that is the fact that Kies has stayed with the club since hanging up his boots. Up until the end of last season he was a coordinator in the first-team department, and since this term he's an official club representative. In any case, he's closely associated with the Werkself as an honorary captain, fan favourite and icon. 

"Stefan Kießling has given great service to Bayer 04 on and off the pitch," said CEO Fernando Carro. "And to this day he remains an important representative for the club, nationally and internationally. Best wishes on your special birthday!"

Bayer 04 managing director for sport Simon Rolfes highlighted: "Kies and I always had a close relationship during our many years of playing together. We complemented each other very well on the pitch and in the dressing room, and he was a real poster boy for Bayer 04. That's no different today - Stefan is still a face of our club."

Fan favourite, top goalscorer, international

Let's look back on some of the remarkable stats from Kießling's playing career. Having joined from 1. FC Nürnberg, the striker registered his first goal contribution on his Bundesliga debut for the Werkself in August 2006, when he assisted the final goal in a 3-0 win over Alemannia Aachen. The goalscorer:  Simon Rolfes. Our former number 11 netted his first league goal for the team in November 2006, in a 3-2 loss to FC Bayern Munich. Just over six years later, in February 2013, he scored his 100th goal in the German top flight in a 3-3 draw at Borussia Mönchengladbach. And his last strike came in a 6-2 victory at Hertha BSC in May 2017. With 131 Bundesliga goals for Bayer 04 - in addition to 13 for Nürnberg - 'Kies' is the Black and Reds' second-highest scorer after Ulf Kirsten (182 goals).

"Stefan became a legend as a centre-forward at Bayer 04 because he always gave everything for the club on and off the pitch," praised Rudi Völler. "The way he became a fan favourite, top goalscorer and international under the Cross is an example for a career as a footballer."

Kießling made six appearances for Germany and was part of the squad that finished third at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. One year later, he helped the Werkself to claim their fifth Bundesliga runners-up place. The native Franconian enjoyed his most prolific campaign in 2012/13: his winner in the 1-0 victory at Hamburger SV fulfilled a dream for Kies as his 25th goal of the season earned him the Bundesliga top goalscorer award - nearest challenger Robert Lewandowski finished on 24. A decisive goal on two counts, it was scored in the last minute - against none other than his long-time Leverkusen teammate René Adler. "I celebrated in the stands as if we'd won the title," recalled then manager Michael Reschke. Kies was carried aloft by his teammates after the final whistle in a way that's normally reserved for title-winning coaches.

amateur cook and drama fan with a sense of humour

Incidentally, no Bayer 04 player laid on more goals for Kießling than Gonzalo Castro. In total, 'Gonzo' set up his teammate 13 times. "It wasn't difficult for me because I always knew: however good the cross was, Kies would stick out his head or his big foot and get something on it," said Castro. "We had a blind understanding on the pitch. And Kies is just a great person who has his heart in the right place. He's always honest and says what he thinks."

The keen cook and drama fan also likes a laugh - as confirmed by Leverkusen goalkeeper Niklas Lomb, for example: "Kies is a very funny guy, even if he used to complain sometimes. As a goalkeeper, if you beat him to a cross in training, he'd make a comment straight away (laughs). Joking aside, what Kies has done for the club is extraordinary. He became a top goalscorer and played over 400 games for Bayer 04. That says everything about him. He was also a great teammate off the pitch, who you could always count on. I wish him all the best!"

And finally, Manuel Friedrich, who was a teammate of Kießling's as a centre-back for Bayer 04 between 2007 and 2013, also sent a heartfelt message: "Dear Kies, I wish you all the very best on your 40th birthday. I always admired the passion and devotion that you always gave to the team. And with that you quite rightly made such a great career possible for yourself, which you can continue to call more than successful since your playing days. All the best for the future and never change!"