Bayer Leverkusen's Leon Bailey: A lot done, plenty more to come
Merely testing the Bayer Leverkusen temperature following his first steps in the Bundesliga in 2017, Jamaican sensation Leon Baily has been in searing form since hitting his explosive stride this season.
Season in a nutshell
bundesliga.com casts an eye over the Kingston native’s nine fine months of 2017/18, in which the 20-year-old acquired global recognition with a collection of dazzling displays.
Gorgeous goals
That result sparked a 14-match unbeaten sequence in all competitions for B04, and Bailey was beginning to boil. In his very next game he scored his first Bundesliga goal against Schalke, while soon afterward, the winger who loves to cut inside netted in consecutive matches as his side hit lift-off.
Frightening acceleration combined with skills, tricks and flicks: Bailey appeared to have every attribute required to bring fans to their feet. And he had Bayer supporters leaping in delight when he scored a stunning back-heeled goal against Hoffenheim on Matchday 19 and immediately followed that with a thunderbolt against Mainz.
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Key stats
He might not be as lightening quick as compatriot and friend Usain Bolt, but with a top speed of 21.4 miles per hour, Bailey has been the scourge of opposing defenders.
His nine goals in the campaign to date are complemented by six assists, the player’s trademark move of sprinting to the touchline before cutting the ball back reaping rewards for appreciative teammates.
Watch: A tactical look at Leon Bailey.
What they're saying...
“He's got extraordinary pace; he's very skilful with the ball,” Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Völler said of the winger who can play on either flank.
“Our aim is to reach the UEFA Champions League with him and build from there. If he can continue to develop here why couldn’t he get to the sort of category [Ousmane] Dembele is in?" Leverkusen’s squad manager Jonas Boldt sings Bailey's praises in an interview with German publication Kicker.
Watch: Bailey's beauty from distance against Mainz! (from 0:50)
What's next?
Leverkusen spent much of the season in the top four, a place both they and Bailey will look to re-establish come the end of the season. With 12 goals in 32 games in all competitions so far this term, Bayer’s slick speedster has set himself a top target to beat in 2018/19. With his burning ambition, the Bundesliga and Europe are braced for the best of Bailey in the coming campaign.
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