Francis Onyeka, a 17-year-old German youth international with Nigerian heritage, reached a new milestone this week, making Bayer Leverkusen's squad for their Champions League clash with Brest, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Though he didn’t take to the pitch, Onyeka’s inclusion for the high-stakes game reflects the club’s growing confidence in the young midfielder, who stepped in for injured Super Eagles forward Victor Boniface.
This was Onyeka’s second professional call-up, following his DFB-Pokal debut on the bench against Jena, where Leverkusen secured a 1-0 win.
Born and raised in Germany to a Nigerian father, Onyeka has represented Germany at the youth level, but he remains eligible to play for Nigeria, a prospect many Nigerian fans are eager to see.
Leverkusen has struggled in recent years to produce home-grown talents who break into the first team.
Is Onyeka Leverkusen's next home-grown star?
However, Onyeka has shown potential to reverse that trend, possibly becoming the club’s first academy graduate since Kai Havertz to play regularly for Leverkusen.
Joining the club at the age of seven from Borussia Lindenthal-Hohenlind, he has steadily climbed the ranks and now stands at the brink of Bundesliga football.
The club’s head coach, Xabi Alonso, praised Onyeka’s potential and mentality. “He’s a player we have high hopes for.
“He has good energy, listens well, and is very attentive. But we need to be patient with him,” Alonso remarked.
When Onyeka signed his contract extension in 2023, Leverkusen’s sporting director Simon Rolfes expressed optimism about the young player’s future, saying, “Francis is truly a child of this club, Bayer 04 through and through.
“I’m thrilled by his outstanding development.”
With his contract set to run until 2027, the young talent will look to build on the example set by his Nigerian teammates, Boniface and Nathan Tella, and may soon offer Leverkusen—and perhaps Nigeria—a star of their own.
