September Bundesliga Rookie of the Month: Boniface tops list of three nominees
Bayer Leverkusen’s Nigerian forward, Victor Boniface has been shortlisted for the second straight month for the Bundesliga Rookie of the month of September and he will battle it out with RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons or Maximilian Beier of Hoffenheim.
Boniface took home the Rookie of the Month crown for August and can now claim the award for a second straight month. If he wins it, he will receive one of the coveted Bundesliga Rookie trophies, before vying for the Rookie of the Season prize.
The 22 year old has simply kept powering on after his superb start to life in the Bundesliga and is already a key part of Xabi Alonso’s impressive pace-setters.
The Nigerian had 25 shots on goal in September, which was by far the most of any player in the division. Four goals came as a result, which placed him behind only Harry Kane (five) and Serhou Guirassy (seven) in the month’s standings.
All four goals in September came at home, bagging braces in both the 4-1 win over Darmstadt and 5-1 victory against Heidenheim. He also provided an assist for Jonas Hofmann in the former.
Boniface’s physique has made him a nightmare to deal with for defenders, winning 54 percent of his duels in September – a marked improvement on August’s return (43 percent).
His coach said: Victor can deal with two centre-backs. He’s a big problem for opponents.’
Boniface’s record over the past month could have been even better given his league-leading eight clear-cut chances in September – no other player had more than four.
