Florian Wirtz has opened up about the struggles he has faced during his debut Liverpool season and the manager who helped him during those times of adversity in a new tell-all interview.
Wirtz‘s arrival in Merseyside in the summer for a whopping £116m was always going to lead to the German receiving backlash if his performances weren’t up to scratch.
Indeed, the former Bayer Leverkusen midfielder has found his transition to life in England to be fraught with difficulties, as it took the 22-year-old some time to adjust to the demands of the Premier League.
He does now have a respectable six goals and nine assists next to his name across 40 games in all competitions, but the narrative towards the start of his time at Anfield was that he consistently blanked.
Wirtz’s first 12 appearances in the Premier League saw him pick up zero goals or assists, with many questioning the decision to pick up the anonymous midfielder for such a steep price.
Thankfully, he has since responded to his critics, with a phenomenal strike on international duty with Germany, showing off a star who has found his mojo again.
But, in a new interview with German outlet Sportschau, the £116m man has addressed all his early difficulties at Liverpool head-on, alongside naming the manager who has been by his side throughout his early Anfield twists and turns.
Wirtz’s comments
It must have been difficult and isolating for the 22-year-old when he was underperforming during the early stages of his Liverpool career.
After all, the English media aren’t exactly a forgiving bunch, particularly when it comes to a flashy import trying to cut their teeth in the bright lights of the Premier League.
Former Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney stated that Wirtz “does not fit into Liverpool’s system,” while ex-Reds great Jamie Carragher would note that he was “just not at the races at all” as the Merseyside giants choked on the road at Galatasaray in the Champions League in late September.
They have both been left eating their words, now, with the number seven revealing how harsh the learning curve was to become used to the intensity of a new division.
He said: “It wasn’t an easy phase. It’s sometimes good that things don’t always go upwards, and that you experience a dip and grow stronger because of it.
“That’s how I see it now as well – it has made me a bit stronger. I had to overcome resistance and adapt. I had to learn to become stronger and hold onto the ball.”
Thankfully, he has come out the other side of this dodgy introduction, since, with January leading to Wirtz picking up five goals and two assists in all competitions.
Wirtz has hailed his national team manager, Julien Nagelsmann, as a big help, with the 38-time Germany international just fresh off a 4-3 win for his nation against Switzerland, where he had a say in every single German strike.
Sticking by him even when his confidence was on the floor, Wirtz has said about Nagelsmann: “The coach (Julian Nagelsmann) always supported me during the difficult phase after my move to Liverpool and always had an open ear for me.
“He gave me tips and reassured me. That has brought us closer together.”
Arne Slot will be hoping he has this confident and assured version of the 22-year-old back for the rest of the Reds’ season, as Liverpool hunt down Champions League qualification with Wirtz potentially key to those chances.
