That means Havertz has broken the record previously held by Dieter Müller, who reached the 35 goals mark in 1975 at the age of 21 and 18 days. Bayer04.de spoke to Müller about his record being broken.
Mr Müller, for 45 years you were the youngest player to score 35 goals in the Bundesliga. What did the record mean to you?
Müller: I was able to achieve a number of Bundesliga records in my career, including six goals in a Bundesliga match. To be honest, I wasn't really aware that I still held the record. It's okay, it's not going to get me down (he laughs). Instead, I'm happy for Kai Havertz.
What thoughts went through your mind when Kai Havertz broke your record?
It was clear to me, now we have this generation of impressive, young players, that the record could be broken one day.
How do you see the current development of our number 29?
Kai is a great lad and a very good footballer. An incredible talent and Leverkusen can be really happy to have a player like him in their ranks. He is very versatile in the attack and has a good finish. The 35 goals don't happen by accident.
What similarities and differences do you see between yourself at the age of 21 and Havertz today?
I recently published my biography and I gave several interviews. I was asked by one journalist what I thought my market value would be today. A player like Havertz already has a market value of many millions of euros at his young age, so I've probably played at the wrong time (he laughs). Players today are clearly more confident. I was more of a classic centre forward, similar to Rudi Völler. Havertz is a completely different type of player from me and he can play in different positions in attack. Nevertheless, we both regularly scored our goals of course.
Profile:
Dieter Müller was born in Offenbach on 1 April 1954. After playing for the youth teams at Kickers Offenbach, he played for the first team at OFC. From 1973 to 1981, he played for FC Köln where he made 248 appearances and scored 159 goals – including six in the game against Werder Bremen on 17 August 1977. Müller also made twelve international appearances for Germany, scoring nine goals for his country.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with Germany U19 international Montrell Culbreath. The attacking midfielder and right winger has penned a deal with the Bundesliga club that runs to 30 June 2030. Culbreath has played for the Werkself as a youth player since 2023. Last December, he scored his first Bundesliga goal for the Leverkusen first team in the Bayer 04 3-1 away win at RB Leipzig.
Show more
The Werkself's 3-0 victory over Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League certainly left many happy faces: Malik Tillman was delighted with his brace, Robert Andrich with the clean sheet and coach Kasper Hjulmand with the "manner" of this significant home win. With an overwhelming superiority and over 75 per cent possession at times, Bayer 04 deserved their place in the UCL play-off round. They will face a familiar foe in February. The Werkself review.
Show more
Werkself TV shows highlights of the 3-0 win against FC Villarreal on matchday 8 in the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 league phase...
Show more
The Champions League journey continues! On the eighth and final matchday of the league phase of the UEFA Champions League 2025/26, Bayer 04 secured their place in the play-offs with a commanding 3-0 win over Villarreal. Malik Tillman put in a mature and combative performance for Leverkusen, scoring a brace (12', 35') to make it 2-0 at the break, while Alejandro Grimaldo (57') and plenty of control of the game did the rest in the second half. The draw for the Werkself's next UCL opponents will take place on Friday 30 January at 12:00 CET.
Show more
