Leverkusen: Nigerian striker Victor Boniface has revealed that his close friend and former teammate, Jeremie Frimpong, surprisingly advised him not to join Bayer Leverkusen before his move to the Bundesliga champions. Speaking in an interview, Boniface said he reached out to Frimpong after receiving an offer from Leverkusen, hoping to get advice from someone already at the club. Instead, the Ghana international urged him to stay away.
According to Ghana Web, Boniface disclosed that Frimpong's warning was based on the fierce competition for places in the squad at the time, with Argentine striker Lucas Alario already among the attacking options. Despite the advice, Boniface completed the move after impressing Leverkusen during a match against them while playing for Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise.
The 24-year-old recalled jokingly bringing up Frimpong's comments during a meeting with the coaching staff after arriving at the club. "The first thing I said was that before coming to Leverkusen, I called somebody and he told me, 'Don't come, don't come.' That was crazy." Boniface, however, said the incident did not affect their friendship, insisting that the pair have built a strong bond since becoming teammates. "Building relationships helps. It helps a lot."