2.His idol
Havertz was a big fan of Barcelona, having the posters of the players, including Ronaldinho, his idol. In one of the press-conferences Kai said he admired the Brazilian and tried to copy him on the pitch. He also loved to watch Samuel Eto’o and remembers Barcelona winning the Champions League in 2006.
Samuel Eto'o and Ronaldinho at Barcelona (Image - Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
3.First senior appearance and goal
Havertz played his first senior match in the 2016/17 season (in October). He substituted Charles Aranguiz during the game against Werder Bremen to become the youngest ever player in the club’s history to make a debut (17 years and 126 days). Bayer lost that game. It took 17 gamesfor Kai to score his first senior goal (against Wolfsburg, the match ended with a 3-3 draw). Overall, Havertz scored 2 goals and provided 6 assists in his senior season (15 starts).
Kai Havertz against Atletico Madrid in 2017
4.Kai prioritizes education over football
Havertz missed several Bundesliga matches as he had to study at school. He also missed the Champions League round of 16 second leg against Atletico Madrid and then concentrated on his exams. After finishing the school, Kai concentrated mainly on football.
5.Kai became the youngest player with 50 appearances for the club
In the 2017/18 season Havertz set another massive record. He became the youngest player in Bayer Leverkusen history to play 50 matches for the club (18 years and 307 days). It was against Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer won the match 4-1.
Kai Havertz celebrating another goal for Bayer Leverkusen
6.Another massive record set in the 2019/20 campaign
On May 30, Havertz scored his 35th goal in the Bundesliga to set a new record (youngest player to reach this number). He became the first to score that many goals before turning 21. Jadon Sancho of Borussia Dortmund could have beaten Havertz’ record, but the Englishman failed to impress after the corona-break.
Kai Havertz is the first player to score 35 Bundesliga goals before his 21st birthday in the competition’s history.
Das Wunderkind. pic.twitter.com/JufFMnjUiB — Squawka Football (@Squawka) May 29, 2020