Leon Bailey: "Bayer Leverkusen can reach the Champions League"
After struggling in the first half of the season, Bayer Leverkusen have got their swagger back in 2019 - thanks in no small part to Leon Bailey.
The 21-year-old has scored three times in his last five Bundesliga outings under new coach Peter Bosz to help fire 'die Werkself' to within four points of the UEFA Champions League qualifying spots, having been in ninth place at the halfway stage of the campaign.
We caught up with the jet-heeled Jamaican for his thoughts on his improved form, Leverkusen's aims for the season and his friendship with Usain Bolt.
bundesliga.com: Leon Bailey, how have you found life under Peter Bosz so far?
Leon Bailey: “I’d say Peter Bosz being here is a big thing for me because he has a different style of play, and I didn't feature much in the first part of the season. It’s perfect for me because he likes my style of play and I like how he wants us to play. I think it’s going to help the team a lot and it’s also going to help the way I play. My qualities can come out more. Hopefully we can do a lot with this quality in the attacking third to score goals and win games. At the moment, it’s perfect.”
Watch: All of Bailey's goals and assists last season
bundesliga.com: What do you think Leverkusen’s greatest strength is?
Bailey: "As you can see, in the team we have some awesome players: Kai [Havertz], Julian [Brandt], Kevin [Volland] and all of our players have qualities individually. I still believe to this day we have so much quality – more than most Bundesliga teams. In the second half of the season, you see a different team than the first part of the season. I believe that if we can continue like this with the confidence and our style of play, our individual quality will come out by itself and show at the perfect time. So far, it’s been working and I think if we continue like this we can reach the Champions League. That’s where we want to be at the end of the season.”
bundesliga.com: Do you like taking responsibility within the team?
Bailey: “It’s in my character. The person I am, I don’t like to lose so whenever the team is down, I feel something inside of me that gives me a push to want to work even harder, even if I’m tired. I think that’s something within me. I also believe the second half of the game is when I’m strongest because of how I am as a person. Whenever we’re feeling down, I’m always there, ready to help the team. Even when everybody is tired, I will do all of the jobs that I need to do to make sure we can get the goal to level or win the game.”
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bundesliga.com: What do you expect from the upcoming games against Hannover and Werder Bremen?
Bailey: “One thing: to win. That’s the most important thing. We'll give the fans a good show on the pitch by playing good football and winning the game at the end of the 90 minutes.”
bundesliga.com: What is your goal for the rest of the season?
Bailey: “My main goal is to help the team as much as possible by being there in good and bad moments. I want to score goals and work back up to my best, because the first part of the season wasn’t so good for me. I just want to help myself get back to where I need to be and also to help the team reach the Champions League, which is where we want to be.”
bundesliga.com: Jamaica is better known for its sprinters, so how did you become a footballer in the first place?
Bailey: “I think football was just naturally in me. That was the only thing I set out to do at first and I don’t know why.”
bundesliga.com How would you describe your friendship with athletics superstar Usain Bolt?
Bailey: “I would say we’re really, really close. He’s been a friend of mine for a couple of years now. He’s teaching me a lot of things in life because he’s experienced. Of course, he’s a legend. To have somebody like that around you and to share that experience with you, it’s such a good feeling. As a young individual who probably or possibly will get to that level, it’s important that you understand what it all comes with from a very early stage. I think he's helped me a little bit with that too. He’s a great guy and a fun person to be around. He’s just a cool guy!”
bundesliga.com: When did you realise that you could become a professional?
Bailey: “We had always dreamed of becoming professionals since we were five or six but, at the age or 10 or 11, that’s when we really believed that we could actually go really far because I was able to win five individuals awards at the age of 12 in Jamaica. That was something outrageous for the country and that’s when my dad thought we had to take it to a different level. That’s when we went to Europe. Austria was the first step. After that, the rest is history.”
bundesliga.com: And how are you finding life in Germany?
Bailey: "My life in Germany is quite simple. I just go to training or go back home and my family comes to visit sometimes. Whenever I have free days, I try to just relax or, if it’s good weather, you enjoy the sun in the city and walk around a little bit. I don’t have many friends, just the other players basically.”
bundesliga.com: Why did you choose Leverkusen in 2017?
Bailey: “Well, I chose Leverkusen because when I left Genk I thought I needed to take the next step in my career. As a young player, I think you should take steps to be wherever you want to be. I think here was the next step. Leverkusen is an awesome team. They’re always in the Champions League, always doing well in the Bundesliga. Basically, they always want to help their players go a step higher, so I believe that’s why I made this move because I wanted to go step-by-step. I think this was the perfect choice for me after Genk.”
bundesliga.com You had a few initial issues after joining Leverkusen. How did you overcome those to then do so well?
Bailey: “When I first signed here in Leverkusen, the first half of the year made me think a lot at the time because I couldn’t understand what was going on. I had a great season in Genk. Then, when I came here, I wouldn’t be included in the squad. I wouldn’t be in the squad for almost all the games and I couldn’t understand why. I started questioning whether I was good enough – which I was at that stage. Then, I said to myself: ‘After this summer break, I’m going back with a mindset that nobody – I don’t care who – is ever going to get in the way of me showcasing my talent and proving that I should be here’. From pre-season onwards, I was so focused, working hard every day with the help of my teammates. That’s when everything started.”
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