Kai Havertz is back where it all started. Arsenal will face their former club for the first time since leaving the club six years ago when they take on Bayer Leverkusen at the BayArena. And he came back after what he called “the worst pain” of his career.
Havertz was on track to have his best scoring season when he tore his hamstring last February. After 13 months, two surgeries (one on his hamstring, one on his knee) and a series of subsequent setbacks, he’s hoping he can finally get to the other side.
His 62-minute appearance in Saturday’s win over Mansfield was only his fourth start of the season, but followed his cameo appearances against Chelsea and Brighton. A sense of rhythm is emerging. He is targeting only his second European appearance this season.
“I think we all know this season wasn’t what I expected, but I always think things happen for a reason. Now I feel good to be back and happy to be able to help the team again,” he said in a press conference ahead of Wednesday’s game.
“It was stop-start, but there are times like this in football. I’ve never faced challenges like this in my career, so I tried my best to get back as soon as possible. And now I’m really happy to be back and be here and help the team.”
Havertz has never suffered a major injury during his career. “It was something new for him,” manager Mikel Arteta said. “If you look at his injury record, it’s a complete blank.”
But the player, once known for his strength, admitted he had to learn to trust his body again. “I think so, yes, because obviously I had two, now three, injuries one after the other,” he added.
Last year tested him mentally and physically. Havertz has been forced to watch on the sidelines since his injury in February, playing just 395 minutes in all competitions. He hasn’t played 90 minutes in a game this season.
“For me, it was just hard because I had never felt that kind of pain in my life and it just happened by chance. But I tried to work through these things.
“Of course, I had support at home. My family helped me a lot during that time. It’s not easy to have two surgeries in a row, but I think I’m professional enough to understand that sometimes this is also part of football.”
“I know there are a lot of players who have gone through different stages of their careers, and I think I’m still young, so hopefully I have a lot of years ahead of me.”
Arteta is keen to take that message to heart.
“When you’re talking about a 15-year, 20-year career, you’re going to have to experience these moments,” he said. “If there’s anyone who has the right combination of humility, perseverance, love of the game and competitiveness, it’s definitely Kai.”
Still, it took away all of the 26-year-old’s resilience. “Mentally it was tough, but I got help from home, from Arsenal and from the players, so everyone kept me motivated,” Havertz said. “The other day I felt how much I miss being on the pitch, how much I miss being with the players, that feeling you get after a game.
“I missed it so much. So it was really tough mentally. I couldn’t be there. It just gave me a new sense of hunger.”
“I’m confident, I’m feeling good, I’m feeling good. Of course, anything can happen, but I feel 100 percent ready to play and I feel fit. I can’t wait to help the team in the coming months.”
Lessons from Chelsea in the battle for places
He returned due to increased competition within the team, including up front. Victor Gokeres led the line for most of the season while he was out. Havertz, who has mainly played in midfield in his recent appearances, is enjoying competition for position.
Kai Havertz celebrates his late goal against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup
“Sometimes it’s difficult for the manager to decide who’s going to play and who’s not going to play, but it’s our job to make it difficult for the manager,” he said.
“So I think competition is always good and I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of arguments about anything, especially between the players. We’re a team and we all have to compete together and win games.”
His return to fitness has reignited the debate over his best position. Havertz played almost exclusively in the forward line until he was injured last year, starting 31 Premier League games for Arsenal and racking up an impressive 15 goals and nine assists.
Kai Havertz has played in 31 Premier League games as Arsenal’s striker, contributing 24 goals.
“I missed this question. I’m sure there are a lot of these,” he added with a smile. “Honestly, I can’t answer that because it started when I was here in Germany, in Leverkusen, and I just played in all positions in attack and I’m used to it.
“Also, when I was an academy player, I just played where the coach needed me to. Sometimes that’s obviously good and sometimes it’s bad, but for myself, honestly, that’s the truth. I don’t care, I just want to be a threat in the box, I want to score goals, I want to assist players. I think being present in the box is my biggest strength as well.”
“But I also played as a left-back in the national team, so I think there are very few positions left that I don’t play. So, to be honest, it’s up to the manager.”
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Mikel Arteta and Declan Rice receive a ‘tunnel slap’ in public training
Havertz scored the winning goal for Chelsea in the 2021 final against Manchester City, winning the Champions League, and now he is hoping to repeat that feat at Arsenal.
What did he learn from that experience about what it takes to go the distance in this event? “Obviously, I think we had a lot of experienced players as we do now,” he said.
“I think we had some games where we needed a little bit of luck at times, but at the end of the day, I think we came together as a group and started running faster and faster and winning games.
Kai Havertz has started just four games in all competitions this season.
“It was always a tough game, a cliffhanger. Sometimes there were moments where we could have lost the game, but we could have won, and we were always determined to win.
“Of course, for me, it was a great experience to get to the final, win the final and score, so it was a great memory.
“I hope I can do that this season, both at Arsenal and here.”
Follow Bayer Leverkusen vs Arsenal on Sky Sports’ digital platforms on Wednesday. Kickoff 5:45pm
