Kai Havertz: Profiling the 17-year-old Bayer Leverkusen prodigy

Kai Havertz

The ban levied on Turkish superstar Hakan Calhanoglu by FIFA was supposed to be a killer blow to Bayer Leverkusen. Calhanoglu had, after all, been a vital part of the Leverkusen unit in the current season with his performances. However, with him ruled out for 4 months, Leverkusen needed someone to stand up and deliver in his absence.

Perhaps, he might not have been their first choice to do so, given his age, but the 17-year-old midfielder Kai Havertz continues to take the footballing world by the storm with every passing match day. The youngster, who broke into the Bayer Leverkusen first team at the start of the current campaign has turned eyeballs during his short tenure as a senior squad member. 

In this segment, we take a detailed look at the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder who, despite being only 17 years of age, is already being touted as one of the most potent weapons in the Leverkusen armoury. 

Background

 

Born in Aachen, Germany on 11^th June 1999, the lanky midfielder initially joined the academy of 2^nd division club Alemannia Aachen as a toddler. Such were his performances even with the youth sides that he soon caught the eye of numerous big clubs across the Bundesliga.

It was in 2010 when Bayer Leverkusen realised the midfielder was one of the biggest talents in the country and did not waste any time into bringing the player to the club.

Havertz, who cannot be missed from a distance, given his physical frame, rose through various Bayer Leverkusen and Germany youth teams and was duly rewarded in the current season when he was handed his league debut in October 2016 against Werder Bremen.

In the process, he also became his side’s youngest ever player in the Bundesliga, which is an indication of how highly rated he is by the club’s hierarchy.

Style of Play and Strengths

The midfielder has featured 16 times for Leverkusen in the current season and has impressed every time he has been on the pitch. Havertz was trained to feature as a playmaker and understandably, that is the position he looks the most threatening in.

Unlike the clichéd number 10, the 17-year-old is not a diminutive player who often has to rely on his skill on the ball alone to beat the defenders. Havertz can be termed a beast who is aptly blessed with the requisite skill and talent on the ball to take on the defenders and beat them.

A left-footed player, Havertz is equally comfortable on his right foot, a trait that also helps him run into either of the channels on the pitch when presented with an opportunity by the opposition. However, if there is one trait that has truly caught the eyes of several pundits, it is his ability to create chances for his colleagues from nothing.

The Leverkusen academy product has averaged 1.6 successful takeons per 90 minutes this season and has also been one of the leading creative figures in the team and that is despite the player being used in a bit-part capacity.

The vision he has showcased, especially with his ability to split open defences with through balls reminds most people of one of the top modern day playmaker, Mesut Ozil. Should the youngster continue on the path he is on, he could turn Leverkusen into a force to reckon with.

Another aspect of his game that has impressed us is his decision making. He is very calm headed in possession and in the past has shown that he can keep his head on his shoulder and beat a number of defenders rushing on to him, a trait not often seen amongst several young and sometimes, even experienced footballers.

Weaknesses

At 17 years of age, no one expects Havertz to be a perfect player who could take any league by storm and like other players, he too has his flaws. He has a tendency to give away the ball easily and this is a trait that could hurt his chances of becoming a superstar should he not work upon it.

While he does have a tendency to get into effective positions on either of the flanks, his crossing can be termed as shoddy and often undoes everything good he has done to get into that position. Roger Schmidt and co will be keen to help the player improve in the mentioned areas since we can see the player being singled out as an individual around whom the future Bayer Leverkusen teams should be built.

What next?

The player has been an impressive figure and has impressed the club’s manager Roger Schmidt.

The German was quoted as saying “He's a proper player for us, despite being only 17. We gave him some playing time to see what effect this had on him. It quickly became evident that playing in front of a full stadium doesn't faze him.

“He's an excellent footballer with good technique, speed, strength in one-on-one situations and even a decent aerial game. Those kind of players are a huge joy to me.”

The 17-year-old, who is a self-confessed Mesut Ozil fan, is still beginning his footballing career and his immediate goal will be to establish himself as a regular in the side even after the return of the banned Calhanoglu.

This is also important to the player in order to make himself relevant to the selection committee with the U-21 UEFA Championships approaching and should he continue with the good work, we see no reason why he should not be on the plane to Poland.