‘He’s in a difficult phase at the moment’ - Ex-Werder Bremen stars show support to Boniface following rough patch

The 24-year-old striker, who joined Werder Bremen on a season-long loan from Bayer Leverkusen during the summer transfer window.

Since his move, he has yet to find the back of the net in his first nine appearances for the club.

He has only managed one assist and has been criticised for his poor performance this season, which has led to his omission from the Nigerian national team.

Two of the club's most respected former forwards believe it's only a matter of time before Boniface rediscovers his scoring touch. 

Pizarro, a club icon, and Harnik, a former Austrian international, both suggested that giving the Nigerian more creative freedom could be the key to unlocking his potential.

Harnik, who began his career at Werder Bremen before playing for clubs like VfB Stuttgart and Hamburger SV, compared Boniface to former Germany international Max Kruse, known for his maverick style.

"Of course, he’s a special guy," Harnik told German publication DeichStube. "He’s a character to me that you have to let do. 

“Similar to Max Kruse, he needs as much freedom as possible. If you let him off the leash, I believe that he is a really creative player with a lot of joy to play and will also help the team."

Pizarro, who scored an incredible 153 goals in 320 games for Werder Bremen, echoed this sentiment. The Peruvian legend, now 47, acknowledged the striker's current struggles but encouraged him to persevere.

"He’s in a difficult phase at the moment, but he just has to keep working to show his quality again," said the six-time Bundesliga champion. 

"Hopefully, he’ll start at Werder; that would be very important for both sides. When he scores, then hopefully a lot of goals will come."