bundesliga

Bayer Leverkusen's Victor Boniface named Rookie of the Season!

15.05.2024

The Bundesliga has been honouring the best young players in the league in 2023/24 with the Rookie of the Month Award, in association with Sorare and with four monthly wins to his name this term, it's not surprising to see Bayer Leverkusen's Victor Boniface voted the overall winner in what has been an incredible campaign.

2023/24 Rookie of the Season

See all the monthly Rookie winners here!

Victor Boniface (Bayer 04 Leverkusen)

The Rookie of the Month for August, September, October and November – Boniface really hit the ground running after his summer move to Leverkusen from Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise. The striker scored seven goals and provided five assists in 12 Bundesliga appearances during his Rookie of the Month reign, and also made his senior debut for Nigeria in September. He kept going in December with a further three strikes and two more provisions in four league outings.

Boniface’s superb start to life in Germany then hit a major stumbling block after he picked up a muscle injury in January that sidelined him until April, meaning he also missed the Africa Cup of Nations. But the 23-year-old returned in expected fashion, scoring a goal and setting up another on his comeback. His contributions in front of goal have been a major factor in Leverkusen winning the Bundesliga for the first time and also pushing for a treble with the addition of the DFB Cup and UEFA Europa League. And next season the Werkself will be able to unleash Boniface on opponents in the UEFA Champions League…

Watch: Boniface won the Rookie of the Month in his very first month in the Bundesliga

The rest of the 2023/24 nominees

Xavi (RB Leipzig)

Xavi finally got his hands on the Rookie of the Month award in December, also making his senior debut for the Netherlands around that time. The attacking midfielder has been a revelation since his summer loan move to Leipzig from Paris Saint-Germain. He had a direct hand in seven goals in his first four Bundesliga games, picking up where he left off from his spell last season at PSV Eindhoven, where the 21-year-old finished as the Eredivisie’s joint-top scorer with 19 goals.

The Amsterdam native has long been on the radar of Europe’s biggest clubs and has further underlined his reputation at the Red Bull Arena. His development has continued at pace in Germany, adding an ability to prevail in one-on-one duels and track back for the team to his already exciting attacking play. All those efforts saw Xavi pick up the Rookie of the Month award for a second time this season in April.

Watch: Xavi scooped his second Rookie of the Month award in April

Ian Maatsen (Borussia Dortmund)

Maatsen only arrived in the Bundesliga in January as the defender joined Dortmund on loan from Chelsea and immediately established himself in the team by bringing fresh impetus that saw him named the first Rookie of the Month of 2024. The left-back’s inclusion in the side, with his ability to step into midfield and get down the wing, helped change the way BVB play with the ball and is without doubt one of the key reasons behind Borussia’s excellent form since the turn of the year.

The 22-year-old got his first Bundesliga assist in only his second game, before the Netherlands youth international bagged his first goal for BVB in March. It’s been an ideal fit for both sides, as Maatsen himself explained. “The Bundesliga is a great stage to show your quality as a young player,” the defender told Ruhr Nachrichten. “For a young guy like me, it really means a lot that the coach and the management at such a big club give you the chance to shine.”

Watch: Maatsen made a splash with his January Rookie of the Month crown

Maximilian Beier (TSG Hoffenheim)

The fact that Beier, who’s been on the books at Hoffenheim since U17 level, possesses great talent, good speed despite his 1.85-metre-tall frame, and a good shot has long been known. But the fact that the striker would immediately make an impact in the Bundesliga was harder to predict, given his record of only 10 goals in Bundesliga 2 during his two-year loan spell at Hannover. But six goals in his first eight appearances of this season, with two of those coming off the bench, made people take notice.

His form has continued throughout the season, picking up back-to-back Rookie of the Month gongs in February and March. He again scored six goals from eight outings in that period. The 21-year-old has shown quality particularly in counter-attacks, as well as developing a more clinical nature in front of goal, to emerge as a complete package up front. A senior Germany call-up from Julian Nagelsmann subsequently followed in March, with Beier now a real candidate for this summer’s UEFA Euro 2024 on home soil.

Watch: Beier claimed second consecutive Rookie of the Month award in March