Tim Steidten has backed Florian Wirtz to be a resounding success at Liverpool, having helped sign him for Bayer Leverkusen
Florian Wirtz
Florian Wirtz (Image: (Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images))
Tim Steidten has backed Florian Wirtz to be a resounding success at Liverpool after recalling his first ever conversation with the Reds’ record signing. The former West Ham United technical director previously served as head of scouting at Bayer Leverkusen.
Alongside sporting director Simon Rolfes, Steidten helped Leverkusen sign the playmaker from FC Koln’s academy in January 2020, with the German going on to make his senior debut for the club the following May.
With Wirtz then only 16 years old at the time of his move, his transfer was controversial at the time as Koln felt that Leverkusen had violated a gentleman's agreement between the two clubs, and fellow Rhineland rival Borussia Monchengladbach, in signing the teenager.
Wirtz would go on to make 197 appearances in five years with Leverkusen, scoring 57 goals and helping the club win their first ever Bundesliga title as well as the DFB-Pokal.
Liverpool signed the 22-year-old for an initial £100m from Leverkusen earlier this summer, with the club-record deal potentially reaching a British record fee of £116m with add-ons.
Wirtz sat out the Reds’ first pre-season friendly of the summer against Preston North End, leaving Liverpool supporters still waiting to see the German in action for the club for the first time.
But Steidten is adamant he will be worth the wait, having been left impressed by Wirtz’s confidence and ambition from their very first meeting over five years ago.
“Many people ask me whether he will be able to establish himself at Liverpool,” he told Sky Germany. “For me, that is beyond question. My answer is always clear: yes!
“I remember our first conversation with him in Simon Rolfes’ office very well – his parents were there too.
“Simon asked him, ‘Where do you want to go, what do you want to achieve?’ And Florian replied, ‘I want to become the best player in the world.’”
Upon signing for Liverpool last month, Wirtz insisted he had joined one of the three best clubs in the world.
“I just thought it was the right point in my career to make a next step,” he said. “Of course I wanted to get to a club who is the top three in the world. In my opinion, Liverpool is one of them.
“I just saw myself in the best hands in Liverpool. I was really convinced by the people here, by the idea, everything that the club offers me was really good. In the end, it was also easy to decide for me to come to Liverpool.”