Havertz prepares to face childhood club Bayer Leverkusen in Champions League clash | OneFootball

Kai Havertz is set to face his former side, Bayer Leverkusen and ahead of the game, he faced the media at the BayArena.

Havertz has had a difficult season so far for Arsenal, being riddled with injuries, but with the season run-in ahead, the striker is looking to play his part in what’s set to be a successful year for the Gunners.

The German striker began by speaking of his fond memories of the club where he moved up through the ranks and made a name for himself, expressing his delight at being back in Leverkusen.

He said: “I think I already saw a lot of familiar faces and obviously a lot of memories are coming up. Especially for me, playing for Arsenal, playing for this club, coming back to my childhood club is amazing, and I can’t wait for the game tomorrow.”

Havertz spoke openly about both the physical and mental challenges of facing injuries and how he has received support to overcome this setback.

The 26-year-old said: “Obviously, I had two injuries, now three injuries behind each other, but for me it was just tough because I never felt that pain before in my life, and it just came randomly.

“Obviously, I got my support from at home as well, my family, who helped me a lot during that time. But obviously, you know, having two surgeries after another is not easy.”

Havertz’s versatility across the forward line makes him a great option for Mikel Arteta, and the German spoke about his laid-back approach to what position he plays.

He said: “Honestly, I can’t answer it to you, because it started when I was here in Germany, in Leverkusen, I just played all the positions up front, and I’m used to it.

“When I was an academy player, I just played wherever the coach needed me to be. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad, but for myself, honestly, it’s the truth. For me, I don’t mind, I just want to be a threat in the box, want to obviously score goals, want to assist players.”

Finally, Havertz was a Champions League winner at Chelsea in 2021, scoring the winning goal in the final, and he spoke about what it takes to win the competition.

Havertz said: “I think obviously we had lots of experienced players, the same as we have now. Sometimes we had games where we needed a bit of luck as well, but at the end of the day, I think we just stood together as a group, and we started to go on the run, win games.”