By Rune Gjerulff@runegjerulff

Havertz: 'Özil has been a role model for me'

Kai Havertz says he considers Mesut Özil a role model.
Kai Havertz.
Kai Havertz.Photo: Fuguito/CC-by-SA 3.0
When Mesut Özil decided to quit the national team in the summer, he made way for another central offensive midfielder - Bayer Leverkusen's Kai Havertz who made his international debut in September.

19-year-old Havertz has been compared to the Arsenal star, and he admits that he has been inspired by the 30-year-old.

"It's safe to say that I copied a lot from him. I just like how he plays. I don't exactly know yet how my role in the national team is perceived. There's still a lot of time, and you don't know where the whole thing is going to go," Havertz told Sport1 and went on:

"He has done a lot for German football. That's why you can say that he has been a bit of a role model for me."

Havertz has made 11 appearances for Leverkusen this season with four goals and three goals to his name.

Bundesliga news

Kickfieber

Match days

Fantasy Football

German Teams in Europe

DFB-Pokal

German National Team

Long reads

Exclusive interviews

Team News

Bundesliga - Augsburg - BremenBundesliga - FC Köln - Union BerlinBundesliga - HSV - FrankfurtBundesliga - Stuttgart - HoffenheimBundesliga - Wolfsburg - FreiburgBundesliga - RB Leipzig - LeverkusenBundesliga - Mainz 05 - St. Pauli