Florian Wirtz has already established himself as a key member of the Werkself at the age of just 18. His personal record for the season is impressive: The versatile midfielder scored eight goals and provided the same number of assists in 38 games across all competitions. After his move to Bayer 04, he first had to "earn respect and show what I could do over several months," said Wirtz in the latest edition of the Werkself Magazin. (The full interview is available HERE).
It is now clear: he has more than succeeded in that aim. The player born in Pulheim has not only made an impression on his teammates but also on the Bayer 04 fans. The newly crowned U21 European Champion received 23.8% of all votes cast but he did not believe he would be named Player of the Season 2020/21. "For me, Lars Bender is the Player of the Season. He's done so much of the club and was always there for the fans," said Wirtz. "But, of course, I'm happy about this award. Particularly because the fans voted. They appeared to like my performances and my way of playing football. That makes me happy and motivates me to make an even greater effort."
16.8% of all votes from the Werkself fans went to the new honorary captain Lars Bender in second place. The defensive stalwart hung up his boots at the end of the season after 12 years under the Bayer Cross. Third place went to Leon Bailey who picked up 12.9% of the votes cast. Our number nine had an impressive season and had the highest number of goals and assists in the team. His record: 15 goals plus 11 assists in 40 games.
The Bayer 04 Club again awarded first class prizes among those Bayer 04 members taking part in the vote. The main winner Marco Gottschlich received two VIP tickets for a Werkself home game. Given the long absence of fans at the BayArena, this prize is a particularly special highlight. Like the majority of the fans, he gave his vote to Wirtz: "Even though in the second half of the season, as with many others, not everything went to plan, he never lacked commitment and passion. His body language is motivation for a lot of older players. He makes his mark – both on and off the pitch. At that age it's pretty remarkable."
In addition to the main prize, a lot of other great prizes went to Bayer 04 Members including a Bayer 04 adventure day, consisting of a Bayer arena tour plus a 30-minute Schwadbus tour, the new home shirt and vouchers for the fan shop. Bayer 04 thank all fans and members for taking part.
Less than a year ago, Kerim Alajbegovic moved from the Bayer 04 U19s to Austrian top-flight club FC Red Bull Salzburg. The forward’s development since then has been impressive. In 36 matches, including in the UEFA Europa League, the 18-year-old has scored 14 goals. In the summer, Alajbegovic, now a Bosnia international, will return to Leverkusen - and thus not only achieve the next milestone still early in his career, but also enrich the Werkself squad with his footballing versatility and determination.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with forward Nathan Tella ahead of schedule. The versatile 26-year-old, who can be deployed as a right winger, false nine or left winger, has penned a new contract to 30 June 2031. Tella joined the Werkself from Championship club Southampton in 2023. His previous contract ran to the summer of 2028.
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Nathan Tella has extended his contract with Bayer 04 to 2031. In an interview with Werkself TV, the 26-year-old talks about fulfilling his dreams, his positive outlook on life and his goals for the future. He answers the questions in English - all except the last one, which he addresses directly to the fans...
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In the final international break in the current 2025/26 campaign, Bayer 04 striker Patrik Schick with Czechia will be battling for a place at the World Cup. Meanwhile, national teams that have already qualified, include other Werkself players called up, are involved in friendlies in the build-up to the World Cup. Read on for an overview of the Leverkusen internationals and their match dates.
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The Werkself kicked off the final international break of the current season on Monday morning with the first of three open training sessions this week. While eleven Bayer 04 players will be away on international duty in the coming days, the other players will be working together in Leverkusen. The next challenge in the Bundesliga awaits on Saturday, 4 April (kick-off: 15:30 CEST) with the home game against VfL Wolfsburg.
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