**Virgil van Dijk has urged Liverpool teammate Florian Wirtz to ignore ‘the numbers game’.**
Wirtz appeared to have broken his Premier League duck with a equaliser during [Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Sunderland](https://www.clickliverpool.com/sport/liverpool-fc/62116-liverpool-1-1-sunderland-three-talking-points-federico-chiesa-mohamed-salah-florian-wirtz/) but saw it later credited as an own goal.
As a result, the Germany international has made 13 top flight appearances without registering a goal or assist since his £116 million arrival at Anfield in the summer.
But Van Dijk, whose arrival on Merseyside also came with lofty expectations due to his price tag, insists that Wirtz must not lose faith in his abilities despite the drought.
He said: “There’s a very good reason why a club like us bought him.
“He’s an outstanding, world-class player in my eyes who can only become even better – but it will take a bit of time. For him, he has to stay level-headed.
“Don’t get too high, don’t get too low. Don’t get dragged into the outside world of when it’s very good or very bad and don’t get dragged into the numbers game.
“Nowadays there are a lot of eyes on if you score goals or have an assist or keep clean sheets.
“But it is also about what you see and the contribution you have for the team, that’s not just shown in the numbers but in what you see and that should sometimes be the focus.
“He was involved in the equaliser but he did many other good things, in the last game \[against West Ham\] as well.”
The Liverpool captain also believes that Mohamed Salah will continue to play an important role for Arne Slot’s side after being benched in successive games.
Salah was overlooked for last weekend’s win at West Ham and brought on as a second-half substitute against the Black Cats but struggled to make an impact.
“Mo has been like he should be: disappointed,” added Van Dijk.
“But we need him and he will still be important like he has been.
“He is a fantastic player and we have to remember there is a reason why he has been so successful at the club and we have to respect that.
“I need him around as one of the leaders. I’m not worried.
“It’s not like you have unlimited credit, everyone has to perform.
“Mo has been doing that but the manager made that decision in the last two games.
“We all want the best for the club. I am pretty sure Mo will still be a big part of what we are trying to achieve because he is an amazing player and he has shown it consistently.
“But like I said with Flo, we are all trying to find consistency and he needs us to be in our best shape.”