Merlin Rohl has opened up on life at Everton under David Moyes and given his views on Florian Wirtz's struggles at Liverpool
David Moyes speaks to Merlin Rohl
David Moyes speaks to Merlin Rohl (Image: (PETER POWELL / AFP via Getty Images))
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Merlin Rohl insists he is not bothered where he plays as the Everton star weighed in on the debate surrounding Florian Wirtz. Rohl saw his loan deal from Freiburg become permanent in the summer and he impressed towards the end of last season.
However, the midfielder spent much of pre-season and the start of the campaign at right-back as David Moyes sought to cover a longstanding problem area for the Blues. The issue has since been addressed with the signing of Ainsley Maitland-Niles in the final hours of the transfer window and the former German youth international is past caring what position he plays.
“I’m completely past worrying about which position I play now,” he told German publication Kicker. “You can offer the team different things depending on the situation, and in that sense, the specific position becomes completely secondary.
“It was a process for me; it wasn’t always that way. The people in charge at Freiburg, in particular, might remember it differently, as there were discussions there about my preference for playing as a number eight.
“It developed through a process and very close dialogue with Leighton Baines. He was one of the best in the world in that position (full back).
“Then there’s Seamus Coleman, another legend here, who also played as a full-back. These are two people who have become very important to me and from whom I’m learning an incredible amount.”
On Maitland-Niles’ arrival at the club, Rohl added: “We can learn from each other. We have slightly different profiles when it comes to our play with the ball.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 6: Everton's Ainsley Maitland-Niles thanks the fans at the end of the match during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Everton and Manchester United at Hill Dickinson Stadium on September 6, 2026 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Lee Parker - CameraSport via Getty Images)
Ainsley Maitland-Niles thanks the Everton after he marked his debut for the club with a stunning injury-time equaliser against Manchester United(Image: Lee Parker - CameraSport via Getty Images)
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“That gives the coach another option in this position. I simply want to keep improving so that I’m good enough to play every game.”
Rohl also believes Wirtz is paying the price for the huge transfer fee that saw him move from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool last summer.
The German has once again found himself under scrutiny, but Rohl believes the £116m price tag attached to the Germany international isn’t helping him.
“People don’t quite know how to rate him yet,” he said. “Then there’s that huge transfer fee, which doesn’t make things easy for anyone. But Flo is an incredibly good player.
“You’re either praised to the skies or, at times, verbally torn to shreds. In a way, I think it’s precisely these extremes that fascinate people here about the sport.”
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