Time for Bailey to be the main man at Leverkusen – Hinds

National midfielder Leon Bailey is in the midst of his fourth full season with Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen and British journalist Rodney Hinds says that the time is now for him to be the driving force at the club to take his career forward.

The 23-year-old Bailey finally got off the mark domestically on November 8, scoring his first league goal since March in Leverkusen's 4-3 win over Borussia Monchengladbach and has made an impact in the group stage of the Europa League scoring two goals and registering two assists from three games played.

He has reportedly been linked to moves to many of the top clubs in England last summer including Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City. Hinds says that the departure of German midfielder Kai Havertz to Chelsea this summer should give Bailey the chance to take the reins at the club that could guarantee a move to England in the future.

"With Havertz going to Chelsea, I think this is a massive opportunity for Leon Bailey to step up and be the main man at that football club. And if he can do that consistently, he will end up in the English Premier League (EPL) no doubt," Hinds told The Gleaner. "A move to a big club in England is possible via the route of Bayer Leverkusen so why not Leon Bailey?"

Last season was a difficult one for Bailey statistically as he missed games because of injuries and suspensions. He finished with seven goals and three assists in all competitions. Their Europa League journey ended with a quarter-final defeat to finalists Inter Milan and a trip to the German Cup final where they lost 4-2 to Bayern Munich.

Hinds says that the task now for Bailey is to put on consistent performances for a team that has made recent strides

He's playing for a football club that in recent years have made some impressions. I remember him scoring a goal against Rangers in the Europa League last season and those are the sort of standout performances that will get Leon Bailey a move," Hinds says. "It's really about consistency because if you can't be consistent in the German league, you'll find it difficult in the EPL where the demands are so great.