Victor Boniface salary, stats, net worth – Things you didn’t know about the Nigeria striker

Victor Boniface salary, stats, net worth – Things you didn’t know about the Nigeria striker
Credit: Icon Sport

In the realm of football, Bayer Leverkusen's Victor Boniface has been making headlines not just for his on-field prowess but also for his remarkable achievements off the pitch.

While his recent feat of securing a hat-trick of Bundesliga Rookie of the Month Awards for August, September, and October has undoubtedly caught the eye, there's more to this Nigerian striker than meets the eye.

In this article, you will learn the story of Victor Boniface who faced career threatening injuries just when his path in football was only beginning, but will go on to overcome and turn out to be a better version of himself as his career continues to move forward.

From the details of his lucrative salary to his standout stats on the field and even a glimpse into his net worth, join us as we unravel the lesser-known facets of Victor Boniface's journey, delving into the financial and statistical realms that contribute to the narrative of this rising football star.

Victor Boniface Biography

Victor Boniface in action for Leverkusen
Credit: Icon Sport

Victor Boniface, born on 23 December 2000, is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen.

Boniface started his career at Lagos-based academy called Real Sapphire FC, who are popular within the shores of Nigeria in grooming and exporting talented players. Boniface was in their books before he made his move to Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in 2019.

But he suffered a major setback two weeks after joining his new club, with the then 18-year-old damaging his cruciate ligament in a pre-season friendly against SK Brann.

He landed awkwardly after an aerial challenge during the game and his foot gave shifted. The injury sent him to six months on the sidelines, subsequently missing the 2019 U-20 World Cup in Poland for Nigeria.

Part of the player's compelling story was how he struggled at the start of his journey in Europe after he lost his mother and suffered an injury two weeks after moving to Norway in 2019. His passion for the game diminishing and thoughts of quitting being next on his mind.

But since overcoming the challenges, Boniface has moved from a €2 million player to a €20 million striker, scoring nine goals in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League in the 2022/23 season as well as six goals in the UEFA Europa League, one of them winning him the prestigious Europa Goal of the Season award.

Victor Boniface Early Football Career

Victor Boniface in action for Leverkusen
Credit: Icon Sport

Born on the 23rd of December, 2000, Victor Boniface parents were always supportive about his football career and it was only a matter of time before his rise to stardom.

In 2012 while in Akure, the Ondo State capital, Boniface’s football talent was noticed during a scouting competition at his school, T-Chris International School.

In an interview with Het Nieuwsblad, the Nigerian striker revealed that he developed his football skills while living at the military barracks with his grandparents.

Boniface said ‘I lived with my grandparents. Grandpa was in the army, I grew up in the military domain. I often played football there with my uncles’.

He'd later join Royal Gold Soccer Academy also based in Akure before getting on the books of Real Sapphire FC where he was at when opportunity came in 2019 for a move to Bodo/Glimt in Norway.

Victor Boniface Club Career and Stats

Bodo/Glimt

Boniface made his first move to Europe as he signed for Bodo/Glimt from Real Sapphire on 4 March 2019. He suffered a ligament injury only two weeks after signing for Glimt, and was out of action for the rest of the 2019 season.

In September 2019, he finally made his league debut for the Norwegian giants and was looking forward to establishing himself in Norway in his second season, before he suffered a second cruciate ligament injury in a team bus accident that kept him out for a long time again.

At that time, he was at his lowest point and things got worse as he lost his mother and passion for the game died down, with thoughts of quitting next on his mind.

Boniface was able to come through his personal problems and was helpful to his side in the 2020/21 season as he scored six goals in 24 appearances to aid Glimt to become champions of the Eliteserien for the first time in the club's 104-years history.

He left Glimt in 2022 after three years at the club with 23 goals in 66 total appearances across all featured competitions.

Union Saint-Gilloise

Victor Boniface in action for Leverkusen
Credit: Icon Sport

On 8 August 2022, Boniface signed a four-year contract with Union SG in Belgium after he left his first club, Bodo/Glimt.

Since his move to USG, Boniface has not had a serious injury since any more, and his career is on the right track.

He spent just one season and scored 17 goals and made six assists in 51 total games across all competitions for Union Saint-Gilloise.

Bayer Leverkusen

The 22-year-old joined the German outfit Leverkusen, on a five-year deal worth €20 million with an additional €7.5 million allocated for add-ons and contractual clauses after just a year with Union SG in Belgium.

It was the most expensive sale in the history of Union, knocking aside the €7 million transfer record received from Club Brugge for Casper Nielsen in 2022.

He made his debut for Leverkusen in a DFB Pokal round 1 match on 12 August 2023, where his side defeated Teutonia Often 0-8 with the Nigerian netting his first official goal for the German outfit.

Victor Boniface's scintillating start to the Bundesliga season has earned him the well-deserved title of Rookie of the Month for August 2023.

In just 14 games, the 22-year-old forward made an indelible mark with 10 crucial goals and a vital 6 assists for Bayer Leverkusen as at November 8th.

Victor Boniface International Career

Boniface was selected to represent Nigeria in the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, but had to withdraw because of his ligament injuries at that time.

Due to the number of quality attackers with the Nigeria senior team, Boniface's inclusion took some time but finally he got his maiden invitation to the team on 3 September 2023 from coach Jose Peseiro, along with two other new faces Gift Orban and Jordan Torunarigha.

Victor Boniface earned his call-up after an impressive start to the new 2023/24 season with his new club Bayer Leverkusen.

At the time of his invitation to the Super Eagles, Boniface had scored 5 goals and assisted 2 in 4 games for Leverkusen.

The big forward made an immediate impact on his debut for Nigeria against Sao Tome and Principe on September 10th, contributing with an assist in a commanding performance by the Super Eagles, who clinched a resounding 6-0 victory.

The striker scored his first goal for Nigeria in an international friendly match against Saudi Arabia in October.

Boniface clinches Hat-Trick of Bundesliga Rookie of the Month Awards

Victor Boniface has solidified his dominance by securing the Bundesliga Rookie of the Month award for October. This remarkable achievement marks a hat-trick for Boniface, who previously claimed the same accolade in both August and September.

In Bundesliga history, he becomes only the second player to achieve this feat three times consecutively, highlighting the extraordinary impact he has made since joining the league.

What sets Boniface apart is not only his hat-trick of awards but also the distinction of sharing the record for the most Rookie of the Month honors with three other players.

As the season progresses, Boniface stands poised to potentially surpass this shared record by clinching his fourth award, further solidifying his status as a standout rookie in the Bundesliga.

Victor Boniface Net Worth

Victor Boniface in action for Leverkusen
Credit: Icon Sport

For a player who has overcome his early challenges, his stock is on the rise. His net worth is estimated to be around $3 million to $5 million in 2023.

Victor Boniface Salary

Boniface commands a weekly salary of 35,280,038.74 Nigerian Naira, showcasing the financial recognition of his football prowess.

This impressive figure translates into an annual salary of 1,834,540,000.00 Nigerian Naira.

Things you didn't know about Victor Boniface

  • Boniface scored a hat-trick for Bodo Glimt in a 3-0 win against Klaksvik in the UEFA Champions League preliminaries on July 6, 2022, making him the first player to score a hattrick for a Norwegian club since 2007
  • The striker nearly quit football due to depression as he revealed in an interview with Nigerian journalist Ojora Babatunde.
  • Boniface is currently represented by Aneke/Players Management Group, the same agency that handles Super Eagles stars Odion Ighalo and Chidera Ejuke
  • The Super Eagles has had a long and brutal battle with injuries and he tore his ACL twice earlier in his career despite only being 22 years old.
  • Boniface finished as joint-top scorer alongside Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford in the 2022/23 UEFA Europa League campaign with six goals in 10 games. And was also named in the tournament's official Team of the Season.

This article was most recently revised and updated 10 months ago

Joseph Abadi
Joseph is a freelance writer who spends most of his time writing engaging football contents. Based in Nigeria, Joseph is a die-hard Real Madrid fan with over 8 years experience in the sports betting space. He has covered football match previews, predictions, and news across leagues in Africa and Europe.
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