Ironically, in the derby against his former club 1. FC Köln (0:1), Florian Wirtz tore his cruciate ligament. A good nine months later, the 19-year-old can finally walk across the green lawn again, laughing. The right foot could play a decisive role for Bayer Leverkusen in the second half of the season.
Coach Xabi Alonso even referred to the playmaker as “Newcomer”. The Werkself, who got off to a desolate start to the season, want to start catching up on the European ranks in the second half of the season. And Wirtz should help with that.
If this endeavor fails, they don’t have to worry about losing their mega talent. His father and adviser Hans now reveals to the ‘kicker’ that his son will stay with the club for another year: “Florian is in good hands with Bayer until the 2024 European Championships.”
Match practice as a factor
Even the interest of international top clubs would not change that, Wirtz senior continues. For his son, the match practice is in the foreground: “Of course every young player wants to play with the best, but he can still learn a lot of things in Leverkusen that he can’t learn from a hodgepodge of established stars.” At 19, the attacking midfielder still has plenty of time to pursue his career elsewhere.
