Bayer Leverkusen’s magical youngster beats Harry Kane to Bundesliga Player of the Season award

Florian Wirtz has been named the Bundesliga Player of the Season for 2023/24 after an outstanding year with Bayer Leverkusen, Soccernet.football reports.

The youngster’s performances helped the team secure their first-ever Bundesliga title.

Wirtz was voted Player of the Month three times (October, December, and February) and has now been honoured as the season’s best player, chosen by fans in the Team of the Season vote.

VfB Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy and Deniz Undav each won the monthly award twice.

Wirtz’s teammates Alejandro Grimaldo (April) and Victor Boniface (August), who was also named Rookie of the Season, were honored once each.

Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane, who scored 38 league goals—a record for the German top flight—was also a strong contender for the Player of the Season. However, despite his efforts, Bayern Munich did not retain their league title.

Wirtz, who turned 21 in May, has been instrumental for Leverkusen, who are also competing in the UEFA Europa League and DFB Cup finals.

He has scored 11 goals and provided 11 assists, both personal bests for a Bundesliga season. He even scored a hat-trick as a substitute in the 5-0 victory against Werder Bremen to secure the title.

Despite being rested at times, Wirtz made significant impacts off the bench. Leverkusen’s coach, Xabi Alonso, praised him, stating, “Flo is a good player even at 70 percent.”

Wirtz has also been unlucky, hitting the post five times, the most in the league. Known for his dribbling, distribution, and speed, he has become a complete player.

After recovering from an ACL injury in 2022, Wirtz demonstrated his talent throughout the season.

Wirtz will look to guide Bayer Leverkusen to Europa League and German Cup glory, with the Black and Reds in line to secure a memorable treble.