Florian Wirtz scored his first goal for Liverpool in their Premier League win over Wolves on Saturday and Wayne Rooney has been impressed with the 22-year-old
Florian Wirtz of Liverpool
Florian Wirtz scored his first goal for Liverpool in the win over Wolves(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
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Florian Wirtz's latest performance for Liverpool may well have vindicated Wayne Rooney's assessment of the playmaker. The Germany international shone in the Reds' 2-1 triumph over Wolves in the Premier League on Saturday.
Wirtz netted his first Liverpool goal after brilliantly connecting with Hugo Ekitike's pass at Anfield.
The Reds secured Wirtz's signature from Bayer Leverkusen during the summer window in a blockbuster deal that could reach £116million with add-ons, including an upfront £100million payment.
Prior to Saturday's clash with Wolves, the 22-year-old had endured a goalless spell at Liverpool and faced some scrutiny over his performances during the opening half of his debut campaign on Merseyside.
Speaking on BBC's Match of the Day, Rooney delivered his analysis of Wirtz's performance against Wolves, explaining why the playmaker is beginning to justify the hefty price tag Liverpool paid to secure his services, reports the Liverpool Echo.
"He's had some really good performances this season, he just hasn't got the goals to go with them," Rooney said.
"He was really impressive today [vs Wolves], he took up some great positions. He's starting to get a really good understanding with [Milos] Kerkez."
Rooney added: "He's showing glimpses of being a top, top player, which I think he can be for Liverpool.
"I remember Bastian Schweinsteiger when he first joined Manchester United, he was surprised at the pace of the Premier League. He liked to get his foot on the ball and slow the game down. Sometimes, you need time to adapt to it."
Rooney's remarks follow his previous defence of Wirtz's performances earlier in the season. The former Manchester United and Everton forward shared his thoughts on Wirtz during an appearance on The Overlap Fan Debate in November, alongside Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher.
“I like Wirtz coming off the left, how he’s done the last couple of games," Rooney said. "I know he hasn’t scored, but he has created a good number of chances which his teammates haven’t taken. I think he’ll be fine – players just take time to settle in.
Wayne Rooney speaking on Match of the Day
Wayne Rooney gave his verdict on Florian Wirtz's performance against Wolves
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"To go from Leverkusen to Liverpool, it’s a big jump. Liverpool is a massive club, and it’s not going well for the whole group at Liverpool at the minute.
"When that happens and you’re a new player and the money they’ve spent on him, and similar with Alexander Isak as well, there will be questions, but I think they’ll be fine.”
Carragher, however, had a different perspective from Rooney. The former Reds defender disagreed at the time and expressed his concerns about Wirtz's potential success at Liverpool.
“I was worried about Florian Wirtz early on – not because he wasn’t amazing," Carragher said. "When you pay that much money for someone, I just want to see a few glimpses of something to make me think, 'I know he’s not the Bayer Leverkusen version yet, but I can see little things'.
"That was early on, and I’ve seen a few things – the backheel at Chelsea, he played well against Real Madrid.
"My worry about Wirtz is when people say things like he has to get used to his teammates, he’s played well in Europe, but it’s a different game to the Premier League.
"He played well at Frankfurt and against Real Madrid at home, but he’s found it really tough in the Premier League. I worry about him going forward – I get it's early days, but I need to see something to keep me thinking that this will work.”
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