Top five players to play for both Borussia Dortmund & Bayer Leverkusen

Top players who have fared for both Dortmund and Leverkusen.

Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen have seen players who have played for both clubs. This has somewhat become a norm in the league as whenever both teams take on each other they encounter familiar faces. Once again when they meet in the Bundesliga today they will witness their former players on the pitch.

With that in mind, we have made a list of the top five players who have played both for Dortmund and Leverkusen below.

5. Christian Worns

Many people rank Christian Wörns as one of the best German defenders of his generation. Although he began his career with Waldhof Mannheim, he spent most of his time playing for Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen.

For almost ten years, he solidified himself as a defensive mainstay and served as the cornerstone of Leverkusen’s formidable defence. He left PSG after a disappointing spell there to join Dortmund, where he rose to prominence as a defender and played until his retirement.

4. Gonzalo Castro

He started his career with Post SV Wuppertal after being born in Wuppertal to Spanish parents. Gonzalo Castro relocated to Bayer 04 Leverkusen in 1999. He made his Bundesliga and Champions League debut for Leverkusen’s senior squad at the age of 17. Castro played well in the starting eleven after moving from midfield to Leverkusen’s defensive four.

Castro eventually made the decision to switch teams after 11 years at Leverkusen. He joined Dortmund, but after three seasons there, he left the team because he didn’t play enough games.

3. Julian Brandt

Julian Brandt started his playing career at Leverkusen where he became one of the most underrated players and his versatility on the pitch allowed him to play anywhere on the ground. He became a household name at the club where he spent five years before joining Dortmund.

The 23-year-old Brandt aided Leverkusen in achieving fourth in the Bundesliga with seven league goals and eleven assists, making him a transfer target for Dortmund. Brandt signed a five-year contract to join Borussia Dortmund on May 22, 2019, and he has been competing for them ever since.

2. Sven Bender

Sven Bender served as a defensive midfielder and central defender. He played for all three of 1860 München’s youth teams during his three-year tenure, beginning with the U-14 squad. Due to the club’s financial difficulties, Munich were forced to sell Sven Bender in 2009.

Sven relocated to Borussia Dortmund. Bender swiftly cemented himself in the starting eleven when his main competitor for the defensive midfield position sustained many injuries.

After 158 Bundesliga games over eight years at Borussia Dortmund, Bender signed a four-year deal with Bayer Leverkusen until 2021 on July 13, 2017, rejoining his brother Lars Bender. Following the conclusion of the 2020–21 season, both Benders declared their retirement from football.

1. Emre Can

Emre Can is now the captain of Borussia Dortmund. Before moving to Bayer Leverkusen in 2013, he started his senior career at Bayern Munich, primarily playing in the team’s reserve squad. However, prior to joining Liverpool in 2014, he played for Leverkusen for a season.

After his Liverpool stint, he joined Juventus in 2018 and spent two years there. After being loaned to Borussia Dortmund in 2020, he joined the team on a permanent basis a few weeks later.

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