And on the back of scoring his elusive first goal for Arne Slot’s side, Wirtz has now been compared to Liverpool legend Peter Beardsley by another one of the club’s iconic former players, John Aldridge.
Beardsley and Aldridge enjoyed a brilliant partnership during the late 1980s - a period which saw Liverpool win the old First Division title in the 1987-88 season and the FA Cup the following year with both players in attack.
Diminutive with clever link-up play, Beardsley would draw markers towards him before slipping in the ruthless Aldridge, who scored an incredible 60 goals during their two seasons together, before the latter joined Spanish side Real Sociedad in 1989.
And Aldridge believes Wirtz has a lot in common with Beardsley - a man who scored 61 goals in 175 appearances for Liverpool, before crossing the divide by joining city rivals Everton in 1991.
In his column in the Liverpool Echo, Aldridge said: “That first goal for Florian Wirtz was going to come, wasn’t it? I’ve watched him for some time. He’s a player. He reminds me of Peter Beardsley. He’s bright, he’s smart, but he needed that goal. It was playing on his mind. It’ll be a relief to him and he can build on it now for sure.
“He’s linking up in the right areas with Hugo Ekitike. It’s good to see. There will definitely be more to come from him, from both of them. Alexander Isak will come back too. When you’re a striker, you need service and Wirtz certainly provides that.”
Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights withGOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!