FILE – Bremen’s Austrian forward Marco Friedl (L) and Leverkusen’s German forward Florian Wirtz vie for the ball during the German first division Bundesliga football match Werder Bremen v Bayer 04 Leverkusen on May 18, 2020 in Bremen, northern Germany as the season resumed following a two-month absence due to the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Stuart FRANKLIN / POOL / AFP)
At just 17 years and 34 days old, Florian Wirtz on Saturday became the youngest goalscorer in Bundesliga history in Bayer Leverkusen’s 4-2 defeat to champions Bayern Munich.
Wirtz went into the record books when he curled the ball past Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer in the dying moments of the match.
The teenager supplanted Nuri Sahin, the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder, who was 17 years and 82 days old when he scored against Nuremberg in 2005.
Wirtz was just two years old at the time.
“We already knew he was a huge talent, that’s why he has played before,” said Leverkusen coach Peter Bosz.
“Today he learnt the most important lesson he will have learned since he started playing football: the tempo at this level is a lot higher than he is used to.”
Wirtz made his debut for Leverkusen against Werder Bremen last month, becoming the youngest debutant in the club’s history and the third youngest ever in the Bundesliga.
The teenager came up through the ranks at neighbouring club Cologne, before securing a move to Leverkusen earlier this year.