Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes pays tribute to Florian Wirtz, whose £116m move to Liverpool was confirmed on Friday
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Florian Wirtz pictured in the Liverpool dressing room at the AXA Training Centre after his move from Bayer Leverkusen
Florian Wirtz pictured in the Liverpool dressing room at the AXA Training Centre after his move from Bayer Leverkusen
(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Florian Wirtz has been told he will "always remain a part of Bayer Leverkusen" in an emotional message from sporting director Simon Rolfes following Liverpool's £116m capture. Wirtz completed his club-record transfer to the Reds on Friday
The Premier League champions will pay an initial £100m for the Germany international with a further £16m on success-based add-ons.
Wirtz has signed a five-year deal with Liverpool to become the most expensive player of all time on Merseyside. And in an outgoing message to a player he helped bring in from Koln as a teenager in 2020, Rolfes praised the 22-year-old for what he contributed during his time at the BayArena, which included a first-ever Bundesliga title in 2023-24, when Xabi Alonso's team went the entire domestic campaign without defeat while also winning the German Cup before losing in the Europa League final.
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"Dear Florian, I don’t want to write this. I would like to tell the world that you will stay at Bayer 04 Leverkusen for the rest of your career," Rolfes wrote on Linkedin.
"But you decided to leave our club and to open a new chapter in your life. Of course, I totally respect that. We not only lose one of the best players in the world, we lose a special person.
"When I first met you, it wasn’t just your skills that stood out. Even if what you do with the ball still leaves me speechless. What really impressed me was your mindset. Your will to win. The hunger to score, no matter the scoreline.
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"That constant drive to get better, even in the smallest details. And your environment with your parents always at your side, supporting you while also keeping you grounded.
"You never lost that hunger. If anything, your mindset grew stronger after your ACL injury. We spoke during that tough time, and I could feel your frustration to not being able to have a ball on your feet. But also how determined you were to come back even stronger.
"That attitude made you a leader. Quiet, focused, driven. More experienced players look up to you. You’re a superstar for quite some time but you’ve stayed the same Flo.
"Like in that title-deciding match against Bremen. It had to be you with that hat-trick. Even when the fans were already on the pitch, you had to score again.
"You once told me you’d never scored a hat-trick before, and that’s why you went for it. Simple as that. And you surely remember when we were in Marseille and I told you that you could have the shirt number 10. You were very happy and proud, The photo shows us a few minutes later and you’re still glowing out of happiness. It tells a lot about you.
"I wish you all the best at Liverpool Football Club. I know, you will make your way there and I hope you will win many matches and titles. Maybe not, when we face each other.
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"Thank you, Flo, for your time under the cross and for being who you are. And also huge thanks to your family who have been with us so often. To your parents for always being open in all conversation and for being respectful and humble.
"We know each other for many many years and the trust and bond between us is strong and unusual in the football business. You all will stay part of the Bayer 04 family."
Wirtz's official squad number at Liverpool will be confirmed later this summer and he will report for pre-season duty at the AXA Training Centre on July 7 ahead of a pre-season friendly with Preston North End later that week at Deepdale.