Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has revealed his admiration for Florian Wirtz after being asked which German player he would like in his team, highlighting just how overlooked the Liverpool star can be
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has reserved high praise for Florian Wirtz at a time when the Liverpool midfielder has been facing heavy scrutiny and criticism in the Premier League(Image: Getty Images)
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has joked that he wished Florian Wirtz had a Spanish passport after lauding the Liverpool star as an "incredible player."
De la Fuente, 65, named Wirtz when asked which German player he would like in his La Roja setup amid the ongoing international break, which has yielded two victories for the reigning European and World champion against England and Croatia in the UEFA Nations League.
Wirtz, 23, is currently playing under former Reds boss Jurgen Klopp after the Anfield legend took over the Germany national team in July, though things haven't quite gone to plan for the 59-year-old, having only managed a draw and a defeat against the Netherlands and Greece, respectively, in his opening two games.
In those two games, Wirtz has featured for just 25 minutes, all of it in the 1-0 defeat to the latter on Sunday, after missing out against the Netherlands three days earlier.
Following that game, Wirtz was on the receiving end of some harsh criticism from the German media, as he continues to flatter to deceive for both club and country following his $154 million move from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool last summer.
It comes off the back of a mixed start to the 2026-27 domestic campaign for Wirtz, in which he has registered just one goal contribution — an assist in a 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest — in six appearances for Liverpool in all competitions.
Florian Wirtz of Germany looks on during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Germany and Greece
Wirtz has been lauded as 'fantastic' by Spain's head coach, despite recent criticisms over his Liverpool performances(Image: (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images))
The former Bayer Leverkusen star has, however, started each of those games, playing the full 90 minutes in four of them, having become one of the first names on the teamsheet for new Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola in the early stage of the season.
Despite yet another underwhelming start to the season for the Reds, though, having endured a highly publicized 16-game streak without a single goal contribution for Liverpool in the Premier League during his debut 2025-26 season, Wirtz has come in for huge praise from Spain boss De La Fuente.
When asked by the German outlet Sport Bild if there was one German player he would currently like to see playing for the Spanish squad, the Spaniard did not hesitate to name the Liverpool midfielder, stating: "Florian Wirtz, he is fantastic."
De La Fuente then jokingly added that "unfortunately, he doesn't have a Spanish passport," before concluding: "I like the way he plays."
The Spain head coach also reserved special praise for Klopp as he embarks on bringing the good times back to German football, following yet another disastrous World Cup campaign over the summer, which saw Die Mannschaft knocked out in the Round of 32 by Paraguay.
"He's a world-class coach whom I unfortunately haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet," said De La Fuente.
"Of course, one has to differentiate between the work of a club coach and a national team coach. There are quite a few differences he'll have to get used to.
"However, I believe that Jurgen Klopp will be able to build a world-class team with top players. But that takes time. Naturally, everyone in football wants quick success…"