Age belies Havertz’s soccer maturity
BERLIN School aside, Kai Havertz has been learning a lot this season.
The 17-year-old midfielder is one of Bayer Leverkusen’s brightest prospects, and he has a chance to put his skill on display for a wide audience on Tuesday when his team faces Atletico Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League.
“We saw him in training. We tried to give him a bit of playing time in the last games to see how he reacts playing in a full stadium,” Leverkusen coach Roger Schmidt said after Havertz played his first full game in November.
“He’s an excellent footballer with outstanding technique, fast, robust in challenges, a good header of the ball and, yeah, he’s a player that does us really well.”
Havertz started the Bundesliga season with Leverkusen’s under-19 team and was just over 17 years and four months old when he made his first senior team appearance as a substitute against Werder Bremen on Oct. 15. More playing time followed against Wolfsburg before his first full game, against Darmstadt on Nov. 5.
Schmidt has been under pressure lately after several lacklustre performances in a disappointing season, but Havertz starred in the team’s last two games as Leverkusen dug out impressive wins over Eintracht Frankfurt and Augsburg in the league.
Leverkusen has been protecting its new star from the increased attention so he can concentrate on his schoolwork. He still has to complete his final secondaryschool examinations.
While he isn’t giving interviews, words are left to others.
“If he keeps his head clear, he can be a great one,” Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno said after the game in Augsburg.