It was his first game as a professional footballer. He had been for many years in the quarry of the Manchester Cityalways accompanied by good players, but nothing like what he experienced that day: starter with the Celtic at Celtic Park. Few stadiums in the world sound the same. Jeremie Frimpong he remembers it like this: “I don’t know how to describe it, it was something almost unreal. Let’s see if you understand me: when i touched the ball for the first time it was like the ground was shaking“, he explains to Relevo about his debut in the first level, in 2019, at only 18 years old and a newcomer to the club.
“The atmosphere was spectacular, it was the best feeling you can have. At the beginning I was a little scaredbut then I felt the energy of the whole world.” At the end of the game, his name sounded over the PA system: “They chose me Man of the Match“.
A few years have passed since then. Frimpong has grown as a footballer and, above all, it has become known among the best clubs in Europe.
In November, for example, he was one of those called up to the World Cup in Qatar with the Netherlands team. “Now maybe I don’t notice the ground shaking, but yes i still have butterflies“, he argues. “Before a match in the Champions League, or the Europa League, or even against a Second Division team. But they are leaving soon. A footballer has to know how to handle these situationsIf you don’t, the pressure can catch you. Sometimes football is scary, you can be afraid to touch the ball. That’s why it’s important to manage the pressure, relax the body and play, just play.”
The jump to the Bundesliga
In January 2021 he decided to make a change in his career: he ended his time at Celtic (having won a league, a cup and a league cup) because he Bayer Leverkusen paid 12 million for it: “I felt that I had fulfilled everything possible in Scotland. I have always wanted to play in the Bundesliga and when Carmelo told me that Bayer Leverkusen was interested I did not think twice: I accepted at the moment. For me it was the perfect move“, he explains about his decision to go to Germany.
The Bundesliga has been characterized by nurture young talents in recent years. The three most expensive transfers speak for themselves: Ousmane Dembele to Barcelona (140 million with 20 years), Jadon Sancho to Manchester United (85 million with 21 years) and Kai Havertz to Chelsea (80 million with 21 years). “Here I feel that I can develop. I think of players like Sancho, who were teammates at Manchester City. He did very well at Dortmund, in the Champions League, in the Bundesliga… Also Haaland, for example. The list is very long”.
The Bayer Leverkusen project attracts from its youth: “There are many people my age and even younger. Arriving at a team like this makes you feel more comfortable because you have more peers your age“, says Frimpong, who was received by ‘Flo’ in his first week of training at the club.
‘Flo’, as he calls it, is Florian Wirtzone of the most coveted footballers in Europe: “On a day-to-day basis, he is exactly how he is seen on the pitch. Is awesome. He plays like he’s been 10 years old. She’s smart. In addition, he is a great person. He was the first to take care of me when I arrived at the club: He was my first friend! ‘Flo’ asked me about Celtic, he invited me to his house, we were going to have dinner there… He did things to make me feel at home”, he recalls about his arrival.
“Wirtz is impressive, he plays as if he had been 10 years old… He was my first friend at the club”
Bayer Leverkusen footballer
One of Frimpong’s big goals is to maintain the level of this season. Although he is a right back, or winger, he adds sevene goals and nine assists. Attacking footballer data, very offensive: “They told me they wanted to enhance my skills. They know I’m good offensively, so I had to use that at the right moments. I’m a fast footballer, very fast. I like to dribble, go up in attack and also defend, of course, but my main virtue is in attack. I would say that I am a box-to-box, but on the touchline. Up and down all the time. I have a lot of energy“, defines the 22-year-old Dutchman.
The impact of Xabi Alonso
In October of this season, the club opted for Xabi Alonso as a new coach. With the team at the bottom of the Bundesliga, mainly because of conceding a lot of goals, the work soon paid off: “You can look at our performances and say that our style has changed. He is a great coach, he came in and gave us new energy, it was a fresh start. They all wanted to impress. When it arrived it was like we forgot about the start of the season and we focused on improving because there was still a lot left. We are still in the Europa League”, he recalls, a competition in which they will face Royal Union Saint-Gilloise Belgian in the quarterfinals.
“We have changed our style of play, our departure from the ball. Everything suits us more. And we all understand how we play, how we press and that kind of thing”, says Frimpong, who is clear about one of the keys to why Xabi Alonso will continue to be a top-level coach. “He is very understanding with the footballer and very talkative with all of us.. When he explains something, she explains it until you understand it. For example, if in a training you don’t understand the reason for an exercise, spend time so that we all understand it. As a player that makes you feel very comfortable, you know you can ask him things“, sentence.
“Xabi is very understanding with the footballer. That makes you feel very comfortable, you know you can ask him things”.
Bayer Leverkusen footballer
Bayer Leverkusen is already 8th in the Bundesliga three points behind Europe after the 2-1 victory against Bayern (Xabi took the team 17th after losing against Bayern 4-0). The improvement is evident, in addition to staying alive in the Europa League.
always football on tv
Frimpong watches a lot of football. He has done it since he was little, when his family moved to England and he was only seven years old. He thus entered the Manchester City youth academy. He coincided with Foden, Sancho or Brahim in a golden generation of the club. “Yes, I like football and I like to watch matches. Above all, the Champions League… Who doesn’t like the Champions League? When I was little I almost always saw Drogba. I would go to my uncle’s house, who always had Chelsea on TV, and at that time Drogba was Chelsea’s key man,” he tells of his childhood.
Now, when he sits down to watch games, he analyzes his rivals: “Not only in my position, I also analyze the others. For example, I love seeing Vinicius at Real Madrid: He is so calm with the ball, so skilled, that he never panics when he has it. play freely, you understand me? I love this kind of stuff. When he loses the ball, he tries again. In soccer, when you lose the ball, sometimes you don’t want to try because you’ve lost it. But Vinicius is never affected by that.”
“I love watching Vinicius: he’s so calm on the ball, so skilled, he never panics when he has it.”
Bayer Leverkusen footballer
His contract ends in 2025 and now, at the age of 22, he is once again at a key moment in his career. The Bayern followed him up when he belonged to Celtic. Its market has expanded and its starting price may be around 30 million. He, however, is not worried: “I am very religious, I leave everything to God. He chooses my future. I play the best I can.” But he makes a request: “I would like to win titles, I love that feeling. I did it with Celtic… and I want more. I want to play consistently well. Now I just want to help Bayer Leverkusen.”
