Bayer Leverkusen's Leon Bailey: "Kai Havertz is an inspiration for young players"

Bayer Leverkusen's Leon Bailey was full of praise for teammate Kai Havertz after his record-breaking night against Freiburg on Matchday 29.

Havertz scored the only goal of the game to help Leverkusen take all three points home from the Schwarzwald-Stadion on Friday night with the away side's only shot on target.

It was the 20-year-old's fifth goal in the Bundesliga since the league returned to action from the coronavirus pandemic, but it was also Havertz's 35th league goal in the German top-flight, making him the first player under the age of 21 to reach that total, and his Jamaican teammate piled the praise on the wonderkid after the game.

"I'm very happy for him, of course," Bailey told bundesliga.com. "He's very, very talented - I think we all know that."

Despite being only 22, Bailey sees Havertz as a role model for himself and other young players looking to make it at the highest level in the game. It comes down to far more than just talent to not only survive in the Bundesliga but thrive, as Havertz is certainly doing.

"For him to be able to be doing that gives young players a vision," Bailey explained. "Anything is possible once you work hard. I think Kai Havertz is a very hardworking player. He's smart, and very intelligent on the pitch. I hope he continues to do this and help the team as much as possible because we need him."

Bailey and Leverkusen will be hoping that Havertz is fit to face Bayern Munich in Leverkusen's next Bundesliga outing after the left-footed player was substituted with a knee injury just five minutes after scoring in the win over Freiburg.

Havertz has scored eight goals and added four assists in 12 appearances in the Bundesliga in 2020, following on from his break-out 19-league goal campaign in 2018/19.

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