Can Victor Boniface put injury woes behind him at Bremen?
Of all the comings and goings on a frantic deadline day, Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface’s loan move to Werder Bremen was arguably the most surprising.
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On the face of it, the acquisition of Boniface represents a major coup for Bremen, who lost talismanic frontman Marvin Ducksch to Championship side Birmingham City earlier this summer.
The Nigerian’s tally of 32 goals in 61 competitive appearances for Leverkusen – including 21 in the Werkself’s remarkable double-winning 2023/24 campaign under Xabi Alonso – speaks for itself.
The only doubt surrounding Boniface’s suitability as a reliable first-choice striker is his fitness record.
Boniface has missed 37 games through injury – or 165 days of action – during his time at the BayArena and underwent surgery on two separate ACL injuries before his move to Leverkusen.
However, in the eyes of Bremen’s head of professional football Peter Niemeyer, the pros of the move far outweigh the cons.
“Victor has delivered brilliant performances in the Bundesliga and shown the qualities he has at his disposal,” Niemeyer said. “We’re certain that he can build on those while here with us.”
Watch: Victor Boniface on 'crazy' Bremen fans
Given that Italian giants AC Milan were trying to sign the striker this summer, Niemeyer’s optimism is perfectly understandable. However, Boniface’s proposed move to the San Siro ending up falling through after the Rossoneri raised concerns about his right knee.
Boniface recently spoke candidly about his injury woes, admitting that he had even considered quitting football altogether.
“At one point, I had given up,” he said. “I had two injuries to my right knee and the problem has persisted for a long time. While others were playing football, I was just working to get back to playing.”
Watch: Highlights of the Matchday 2 draw between Bremen and Leverkusen
According to Clemens Fritz, Bremen’s managing director for football, a club delegation recently travelled to Leverkusen for a “comprehensive” background check on Boniface and his injury history.
The medical team had no qualms in giving the deal the green light, and the onus is now on Boniface to rediscover the kind of prolific form that earned him a reputation as one of the Bundesliga’s most dangerous forwards.
Werder head coach Horst Steffen has full confidence in the former Bodø/Glimt and Union Saint-Gilloise striker, saying: “Victor is incredibly strong physically, a very good finisher and has good pace.
“I’m certain that he can be a huge asset to our group this season.”
As for Boniface himself, he cannot wait to celebrate his next goal in front of the adoring Bremen fans.
“I’m delighted with the support I’m getting and the whole club,” he said. “I want to use that excitement to give something back on the pitch.”
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