Florian Wirtz will look back with fondness on Monday night as he made his debut at **Anfield**in the double header against Athletic Club. The attacker has talked about how he is adapting to life with the Reds and how he hopes to contribute to the "difficult" task of retaining the Premier League trophy.
‘I thought I could fit in this team’
Wirtz will wear the number seven, but he is a different profile from its last owner, Luis Diaz. The German also likes to play from the left of the attack or through the middle, but he is a creative force who wants the freedom to find spaces across the final third and link with the rest of his teammates.
“I am a player who needs freedom on the pitch and the manager gives it to me. I have to respect the position and the players around me, but I try to give my best on the pitch and find the right places. I try to find the right places to be, the right spaces to get the ball to be dangerous, to create chances.”
Not every tactical system would give him the licence to play his natural game. However, Arne Slot has shown he can cater for the desires of top attackers in the past through his work with Mo Salah, and that has helped give the German the green light to make the £116 million move to Merseyside.
“I came because I thought I could fit in this team. I am enjoying playing with these players. Every time it is getting a little bit better. I am happy with how it is going. I’m enjoying the first weeks.”
Next on the schedule is a clash with Crystal Palace in the Community Shield at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. Wirtz was in the Werkself eleven that lost 4-0 to the Reds in the **Champions League**last year, but this match will be the first time he plays for his new club against a **Premier League**outfit.
“I have not played a Premier League match, but I am looking forward to it and that is why I came. To be honest, I do not know [how it will be]. There will be some differences to the German league but I think that is also something I can learn and make me better, so I am really looking forward to it.”
Oliver Glasner also made the transition from Germany to England, having won the Europa League title with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022. The Eagles should be one example of the physical challenge Wirtz must get used to in English football if he wants to be the same force he was in his home nation.
“They tell me it’s more intense and more physical, every player is really strong, really fast.”
‘I am really happy I can play with him’
Above all, the Reds want to reap the reward of over £260 million in spending. The 22-year-old could not help an invincible Leverkusen keep Bayern Munich at bay for the second year in a row, but he could be a part of a historic **Liverpool**unit that retains the **Premier League**title for the first time.
“The big challenge is to take the title again. It is the most difficult thing, so I try just to create chances and also work against the ball because I can also run a lot and I will try to bring this to the team. Then, with the ball, I hope I can make the team better and bring my teammates into better situations.”
The attacker aspires to achieve this feat with a fellow arrival from the Bundesliga. Hugo Ekitiké scored 13 times for Frankfurt in the league last season, but he is a well-rounded forward with quick feet, a turn of pace, strong carrying, and crafty finishing. Wirtz is happy to work with the Frenchman.
“He is a really good player. I enjoyed watching him at Eintracht Frankfurt and I was really happy that he has decided to come to us. In the training sessions we have had already, he went well and also in the game we had some combinations that were good. I am really happy that I can play with him.”
**Jeremie Frimpong**and Milos Kerkez, two flying fullbacks, also arrived in June. There has been a lot of time for the newcomers to integrate into the locker room and learn how they can contribute to the team's targets. It has been a painless process for a player who walked away from his boyhood club.
“It is good that we have a few players that have all come at the same time, so we can connect a little bit and talk to each other about how we deal with it. That helps when you are coming to a new team.”