Kai Havertz

Kai Havertz is a German footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea FC.

The 23-year-old attacker began his senior footballing career at Bayer Leverkusen after initially joining the German side’s youth set-up back in 2010.

He quickly came through the German side’s youth ranks and eventually broke into the first team in 2016.

He made more than 100 Bundesliga appearances for the Bayer Leverkusen first team before earning a big-money transfer to Chelsea FC in the summer of 2020, while Frank Lampard was in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Havertz has been a regular fixture in the Germany senior team after making his international debut for his country back in 2018.

So, what do we know about Havertz’s journey to becoming the talented midfielder he is today? This is his story.

Early Life, Family And Upbringing

Kai Havertz (full name: Kai Lukas Havertz) was born on 11 June 1999 in Aachen, Germany.

Havertz grew up in the village of Mariadorf, just north of Aachen, and he first began playing football after being inspired by his grandfather Richard.

“My grandpa really got me into football,” Havertz explains in an interview with bundesliga.com. “He helped me take my first steps. Obviously, my brother and father also did their bit to get me out there playing at an early age.

“Everyone was football crazy, and we were just a football family. We loved football and everything revolved around it, so I grew up with it and that’s how this passion developed.”

Kai Havertz (Photo: @kaihavertz29 / Instagram)

Havertz joined his first club when he was just four years old, moving to Alemannia Mariadorf, where his grandfather was a long-time chairman. After developing his game during his younger years, he ended up moving to Alemannia Aachen – a Bundesliga 2 side at the time – when he was 10 years old.

However, he spent only one year at Alemannia Aachen before he ended up being spotted by scouts from Bayer Leverkusen. He ended up joining the Bundesliga side’s youth set-up in 2010.

“Kai was playing for Alemannia Aachen’s under-12s – he was a year younger than everyone else and playing against our under-12s,” says Slawomir Czarniecki, a youth coach at Bayer Leverkusen. “I don’t remember exactly how the game finished – 8-3 for us I think – but he scored their three goals. That was my first impression of Kai.”

Bayer Leverkusen

Havertz continued to progress through the ranks at Bayer Leverkusen following his move to the club in 2010.

After some initial teething problems, Havertz began to find his form, helping Bayer Leverkusen to win the German U17 title in 2016 by scoring an impressive 18 goals in 26 games.

His appearance in that game made him Bayer Leverkusen’s youngest-ever debutant in the Bundesliga, at the age of 17 years and 126 days.

After having made his Champions League bow for the club in February 2017, he scored his first goal for Bayer Leverkusen on 2 April 2017, netting in a 3–3 draw with VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga.

Kai Havertz (Photo: @kaihavertz29 / Instagram)

Havertz continued his impressive rise through the first team at Leverkusen in the following seasons, and his most fruitful campaign came in 2018-19, when he scored 17 goals in 34 Bundesliga games. In total, he netted 20 goals in 42 games that season.

Despite his strong and improving form, Havertz did not win a trophy with Bayer Leverkusen, although he was a runner-up in the DFB-Pokal final in the 2019-20 campaign. Havertz played the full 90 minutes in the final, scoring a penalty in a 4-2 defeat by Bayern Munich in Berlin.

Chelsea FC

Havertz’s strong form for Bayer Leverkusen had not gone unnoticed, and he ended up securing a big-money transfer to Frank Lampard’s Chelsea FC in the summer of 2020.

His move to Chelsea FC was announced on 4 September 2020, with Havertz signing an initial five-year contract with the south west London side, for a fee reported to be as much as £71m with add-ons.

Havertz is believed to be one of the highest-earning players at Chelsea FC, with the German reported to earn around £310,000 per week.

Upon signing for the Blues, Havertz said: “I am very happy and proud to be here, For me it is a dream come true to play in a big club like Chelsea and I can’t wait to meet all the players and the trainers. Yeah, I am very happy to be here!”

Speaking after making his Premier League bow for the Blues, Havertz admitted that the English top flight is more testing than its German equivalent.

“The Premier League is much tougher than the Bundesliga,” said Havertz after the victory at Brighton. “I have seen that in training and saw it in the game as well. But I am happy to play 80 minutes and hopefully next week I will continue.”

The German netted his first career hat-trick in a 6-0 home win over Barnsley in the third round of the League Cup on 23 September 2020. He then scored his first Premier League goal in a 3-3 home draw against Southampton on 17 October 2020.

Kai Havertz (Photo: Chelsea TV / Screengrab)

After a difficult start to the season, Frank Lampard was sacked as Chelsea FC manager and replaced by Thomas Tuchel in January 2021. However, the season was to finish on a positive note for Havertz and his team-mates.

He ended his first season at Chelsea FC with nine goals in 45 games in all competitions.

Havertz helped Chelsea FC to beat Villarreal to win the Uefa Super Cup in August 2021, despite him missing a penalty in the shootout.

International Career

Havertz represented Germany at Under-16, Under-17 and Under-19 level before making his debut for the senior team.

He made his first senior international appearance for Germany on 9 September 2018, coming on as a late substitute.

Havertz was selected in the Germany squad for Euro 2020, held in the summer of 2021, and he scored two goals in four games at the tournament, before they were knocked out by England in the last 16.

Life Away From The Pitch

Havertz and his girlfriend Sophia Weber have a dog – a golden retriever named Baloo – in London together.

“We decided when we came here we need a garden and we need a dog,” Havertz said in an interview in March 2021. “It was clear for a while but I used to live in a flat in Germany with no garden and we didn’t have enough space for a dog.

Kai Havertz with his dog Baloo (Photo: @kaihavertz29 / Instagram)

“After one or two months here, we searched for the right one. We visited some. We didn’t like the breeders who only want to make money off the dog. We found the right person, and now we have had him for six or seven months. His name is Baloo. We are very happy with him. He’s a golden retriever.”

What Have Others Said?

Former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville on Kai Havertz’ potential, speaking in August 2021: “I actually think Havertz has gone up a level. I think he’s in third gear and he’ll go to fourth gear, then to fifth gear and be an absolutely great player. When he really fills out into his body he will get big and stronger.

“He’s already a great runner with the ball. I think when he gets more confidence, more belief, in two years’ time I think we could be seeing someone who’s absolutely there. Look what Chelsea did with Eden Hazard – I think that’s what Havertz will do.”

Thomas Tuchel on Kai Havertz’s form in front of goal, speaking in December 2021: “He is still young and in a process of adapting. He has all the potential and character to be a top player for Chelsea but he is still growing and he is far from being ready. Like I said, he is super young. He is to grow into it. Let’s not be over excited when we have a test tomorrow so who knows.”