Liverpool star Florian Wirtz has started to find some form in recent weeks, with club icon Steven Gerrard making his thoughts clear on his recent improvement
Florian Wirtz of Liverpool celebrates during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Liverpool FC and Brighton & Hove Albion
Florian Wirtz has seen an improvement in performance levels in recent weeks(Image: (Photo by Nikki Dyer/Liverpool FC via Getty Images))
Florian Wirtz has started to show more of his quality at Liverpool in recent weeks, with club legend Steven Gerrard calling on him to keep pushing and urging him to be "more selfish".
The playmaker has been criticized since his switch to Anfield last summer, having failed to meet the expectations placed on a player who cost such a large sum. While some understood it would take time for him to settle, a difficult start to his second season has only ramped up the pressure and frustration with some of his performances.
In response, Wirtz has taken a step up. Quality displays against LASK, Brentford, Villarreal, and now Brighton have given fans plenty of food for thought, as the German international shows more of the quality expected of him.
There is still a long way to go for him to be the main man that Liverpool turns to when that little bit of magic is needed, but there is hope that this is just the start of an attack that is beginning to click together nicely on the pitch when playing together.
READ MORE: Trent Alexander-Arnold told what Real Madrid fans think of him amid Liverpool return rumors
READ MORE: Arsenal legend makes Fabian Hurzeler prediction after Brighton boss made Liverpool dig
"Maybe I'm just an interesting guy, you know?” he told BBC Match of the Day after the win over Brighton, when he was asked about the focus on him. “No, I just play my football. If people want to talk about me or judge me, that's their job. I'm not focusing on that. I just want to play football and more I cannot do.
“I think many things weren't so good in the last month so I'm even happier that it's going well at the moment. It's really enjoyable."
It's the type of claim that Liverpool icon Gerrard is happy with, having recently backed the star to improve, as he gives his thoughts on the situation Wirtz finds himself in.
Speaking on The Overlap Daily, he said: "That's the right attitude and mentality: just focus on your game and your next performance, whether you play well or things don't go well for you. At Liverpool, the games come every three or four days, so just get ready for the next one.
Liverpool attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz.
Liverpool attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz.(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
"To be fair to the kid, he's not feeling sorry for himself. He's still going out there, trying to create for the team and score for the team. He's been an awful lot better in recent weeks, but yesterday [vs Brighton] he was outstanding in the first half. Some of the passes he played and the spaces he found were excellent. He's contributing, and although it goes down as an own goal, he's in the right place and taking shots on.
"My message to him is to be a bit more selfish. Sometimes you don't have to play the last pass or look for that final pass. If you're in range, let it fly. He's capable of scoring goals himself, so I want him to be a little bit more selfish, in a nice way.
"I don't want him to stop other people getting easier chances than him, but he should reward himself a little bit more. Sometimes, when you're young, you're looking to play that extra pass. I want him to be a little bit more selfish and let the trigger go."
The performances are certainly building blocks for Wirtz to kick on from, having started to provide more in the recent run of form than he was in the earlier parts of the season.
Article continues below
With such a busy fixture schedule, the challenge will be for him to keep that up, and perhaps add that selfish streak to his game, with Liverpool showing some promising signs of going far under Andoni Iraola.