Before the restart of the German league, few football fans would have heard of Florian Wirtz, a talented 16-year-old who joined Bayer Leverkusen from Cologne in the winter break.
Leverkusen coach Peter Bosz decided to place his faith in the offensive midfielder in the club’s first match after the layoff – an away game at Werder Bremen – on May 18, two weeks and a day after Wirtz turned 17, he started his first Bundesliga match.