Rolfes confident Badé can fill void left by Tah at Leverkusen

Simon Rolfes believes Loic Badé can successfully step into the role Jonathan Tah used to have at Bayer Leverkusen.

Loic Badé earned high praise after making his first start for Bayer Leverkusen in their 3-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday.

Bayer 04 are hopeful that, over time, the 25-year-old Frenchman can fill the void left by Jonathan Tah, who has moved to Bayern Munich.

The club’s managing director for sport, Simon Rolfes, at least, “definitely” believes Badé can do so.

“He is someone who has a natural presence and aura both on the pitch and as a person. He stands upright, looks you straight in the eye when he shakes your hand,” Rolfes told Kicker.

“With his positive character, he brings players together, he brings people together. He is well-liked and fits perfectly into our squad structure.”

Bayer 04 reportedly paid €25 million to sign the French international from Sevilla.