It is hard to remember Kai Havertz was still in the U19 squad last season: The Bayer 04 pro now receives the gold Fritz Walter medal as the best U19 player in Germany. The Werkself youngster is the youngest-ever player in the history of the Bundesliga to make 50 appearances in Germany's top-flight. Kai set the record at the age of 18 years and 307 days in a 4-1 win for Bayer 04 against Eintracht Frankfurt on matchday 30 of the 2017/18 campaign.
"In terms of his ability and technique, he is outstanding at times. He will continue to develop over the next few years and become a great player if he maintains his current mentality. Kai has the talent and potential to become a world star," said Julian Brandt in praise of his team-mate after the game against Frankfurt. Havertz, who played for Bayer 04 in the Champions League in 2016/17 at the same time he was studying for his Abitur exams, has now made 54 Bundesliga appearances and been involved in 22 goals. Seven goals and 15 assists – an outstanding return for a midfielder.
Havertz, who joined Leverkusen from Alemannia Aachen as an eleven-year-old in 2010 and went on to win the U17 German Championships with Bayer 04, will be awarded the gold Fritz Walter medal on 9 September in Heidelberg at the international fixture between Germany and Peru. Two years ago, the DFB awarded Kai Havertz the silver Fritz Walter medal with the U17s. Back then, Benjamin Henrichs won the gold medal with the U19s.
Other Bayer 04 players to win this award were Jonathan Tah (U19, 2015) and Julian Brandt (U18, 2014). Brandt also picked up the silver medal in 2013 with the U17s – as did Levin Öztunali with the U18s in 2014. Dominik Kohr earned bronze with the U19s in 2013 and in 2012 with the U18s. Before that, Bayer 04 players Kolja Pusch (bronze in 2010 with the U17s), Marcel Risse (bronze in 2008 with the U19s), Richard Sukuta-Pasu (bronze in 2008 with the U18s), Stefan Reinartz (bronze in 2007 with the U18s) and Nils Teixeira (bronze in 2007 with the U17s) also received Fritz Walter medals.
"The Fritz Walter medal is now established as the most significant individual award in German youth football," said Joti Chatzialexiou, sporting director of national teams. "The award winners have outstanding qualities, great sporting ambition and away from the pitch they stand out with their team spirit and their demeanour. It's important to us that the talented youngsters see the medals as great inspiration: Your target has to be to continually improve and go on to appear for the senior side later on." Not many people would be surprised if 'later' turned into 'soon' for Kai Havertz. He has earned 30 caps for Germany youth teams to date and has scored seven goals in eight matches for the U19 side.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen will to have manage without forward Eliesse Ben Seghir. The Morocco international suffered a ligament injury in his left ankle before the AFCON final defeat against Senegal (0-1 a.e.t.).
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The VBL Club Championship 2025/26 continues. Tonight, 27 January (live on Twitch and on the Bayer 04 app from 18:00 CET), the Leverkusen eSports team will play the remaining three matches in the online preliminary round of Showdown Four. They are up against FC Kaiserslautern, SC Freiburg and the current club champions and Showdown Three winners RB Leipzig, with whom Bayer 04, club runners-up and Showdown One winners, shared some memorable moments, especially last year. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed Swiss goalkeeper Jonas Omlin from Borussia Mönchengladbach. The 32-year-old joins the Werkself from the Lower Rhine Bundesliga club on loan to the end of the current season. This is the reaction of Bayer 04 to the injury to first choice keeper Mark Flekken, who faces a long spell on the sidelines.
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Welcome to Leverkusen, Jonas Omlin. Bayer 04 have signed the 32-year-old goalkeeper on loan from Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach until the end of the season. Managing director sport Simon Rolfes described the Swiss shot stopper, signed by the Werkself in reaction to the long-term absence of first choice keeper Mark Flekken, as an "internationally experienced keeper." Bayer04.de takes a closer look at the new signing, who will wear the number 18 jersey.
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Lucas Vázquez was the hero in Saturday's 1-0 home win against Werder Bremen, when the Spaniard scored his first Bundesliga goal to secure an important victory for Leverkusen. The 34-year-old right-sided recently met up with the Werkself magazine for an interview in the Düsseldorf restaurant Casa Galicia after the first few months of settling in to his new home in Germany. Over tapas, the five-time Champions League winner, who left Real Madrid in the summer after 18 years to continue his career at Bayer 04, spoke about his career to date, the new challenge in Leverkusen and the importance of family - and he paid a big compliment to the fans of his new club.
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