Florian Wirtz struggled for goals and assists when he joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in a £116m deal.
Under Liverpool-linked Xabi Alonso, the German was one of the best players in the Bundesliga.
He played a key role in their 2024 league title success, clinching first-place ahead of the ever-dominant Bayern Munich.
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Alisson before Marseille vs Liverpool - UEFA Champions League
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However, the media were slamming Wirtz during the early stages of his Liverpool career.
The German scored his first Premier League goal against Wolves in December, but had previously gone 12 league matches without a single goal contribution.
Bastian Schweinsteiger blames Liverpool players for Florian Wirtz struggles
Now, former Bayern Munich and Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has suggested why that was the case.
In an interview with FootballJOE, he suggested that Wirtz was not playing badly, his teammates just weren’t taking their chances.
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Florian Wirtz during Liverpool v Leeds United - Premier League
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Schweinsteiger said: “I think he created a lot of chances actually. The Liverpool players didn’t score the goals, otherwise there would be a different perspective.
“He is a player who needs the ball definitely, but he is also working against the ball well. He is smart enough to change the worries, but if the whole team is not doing well it’s not easy for a single player.”
There’s another reason for Florian Wirtz improving at Liverpool
However, at the very end of 2025, a switch seems to have flipped for Wirtz.
He now has four goals in his last seven Premier League matches and currently sits on 14 goal contributions for the season.
But while his teammates may not have helped the player when he first arrived, the fact Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike are now thriving together is a big plus for the versatile midfielder.
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Hugo Ekitike celebrates after scoring for Liverpool in the Premier League against Newcastle United at Anfield (Credit: Getty Images/Liverpool FC).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Liverpool FC
The duo’s connection has become apparent for all to see, with Ekitike receiving praise from the Liverpool ace recently.
Wirtz said: “Because we know each other already from the Bundesliga. And we played a few times against each other. We exchanged our shirts already when he was at Frankfurt, and he’s a really fantastic player and he even surprised me when I first saw him here, training and playing, because I didn’t know he was that good.
“And it’s so much fun to play with him because he knows how you move on the pitch, how you link up with each other. And yeah, it’s just nice to play with him.”
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