Liverpool 1-0 Real Madrid: Match Verdict
The former Liverpool midfielder still believes that Florian Wirtz has to deliver on a consistent basis after joining the Reds for £100m.
Didi Hamann has claimed that Florian Wirtz is going to have to justify why Liverpool splashed out such a significant fee on him 'at some point'.
The Reds paid a fee of £100 million - which could rise to £116 million - to sign the attacking midfielder in the summer transfer window. Wirtz is regarded as one of Europe's most exciting talents and enjoyed a magnificent five-and-a-half years at Bayer Leverkusen.
He recorded 57 goals and 63 assists in 197 appearances for Die Werkself and was an instrumental figure in the 2023-24 team that won the club their maiden Bundesliga title as well as the DFB-Pokal.
However, Wirtz has had somewhat of a soft launch to his Liverpool career. He's yet to score in 15 appearances, although he has registered three assists. In the Reds' four Premier League games, the Germany international has been on the bench for three of them - although he impressed from the outset in the 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League earlier this week.
What’s been said
And Hamann believes that Wirtz still has more to prove at Liverpool. Speaking on Sky Sports Germany (via BILD), former Liverpool midfielder Hamann said: “The team is clearly struggling at the moment. It has to be said that their two probably best Premier League performances were against Everton and then on Saturday against Villa. Two games in which he wasn't in the starting eleven.
"At some point, he has to prove himself and show why he was brought to the club and why the club paid so much money for him. He is an outstanding player. I have watched him and I think that there are currently not many other players who possess his abilities. But it's no use if he doesn't show them."
Slot adamant about Wirtz
Liverpool boss Slot remains adamant that Wirtz will prove to be a hit at Anfield. Speaking after the Madrid triumph, he said: “If you come from a different league and you have to play every two days and there are so many away games need to be played against certain styles of play, you need to adapt to that. That goes almost for everyone, let alone for a player that's 22. I think he's working incredibly hard to adapt as soon as he can and he has been so unlucky throughout his career here at Liverpool because even today he created so many chances for the team. But the goal we scored wasn't an assist or a goal from him.
“I wouldn't even say give him a bit of time because we gave him already that time to adapt. I played him many times for him to adapt to the Premier League, but I didn't play him every single game because that's not what I do with almost any player, but also not with players that either missed pre-season, are very young or come from a different league.
“They need a little bit of time to adapt if you have two days' rest after the [Eintracht] Frankfurt game and you have to go away to Brentford, that is different probably than having an away game in the Bundesliga or in the Eredivisie or in any other league in the world. This league is the best-played in the world, I think - all the 20 teams. So you can understand that so many great individuals and athletes are playing here, mainly from 25 to 30 and at some teams you also see 22-year-olds.”
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