I Knew Nothing About Him - Leverkusen's Boniface Reveals How Madrid-target Wirtz Won His Admiration

Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface has heaped praise on club teammate Florian Wirtz, describing the German international as a "fantastic player" and admitting he hadn't heard of him prior to their first on-pitch meeting, Soccernet.ng reports .

Before moving to Leverkusen in the summer of 2023, Boniface was a rising star at Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise.

The Nigerian forward had no idea who Wirtz was - until the two crossed paths in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League earlier that same year.

And he did. In the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final, both players scored in a 1-1 draw in Germany.

Leverkusen won the return leg 4-1, progressing 5-2 on aggregate, and Boniface's performance was enough to convince the Bundesliga side to sign him that summer.