Florian Wirtz has explained how he managed to get through the difficult early stages after joining Liverpool in a £116million deal from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer
Florian Wirtz of Germany
Florian Wirtz's form has picked up as the season has gone on(Image: Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
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Florian Wirtz has revealed that he spoke frequently with Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann during his difficult early days at Liverpool. Wirtz arrived at Liverpool with a lot of expectation on his shoulders thanks to his £116million price tag and didn't get off to the best start on Merseyside.
The 22-year-old playmaker joined from Bayer Leverkusen having caught the eye with his performances and impressive attacking output. He contributed 16 goals and 15 assists in 45 appearances for Leverkusen last season, but found things much harder going in Arne Slot's side.
Wirtz failed to score or assist in his first 12 Premier League games for his new club before things picked up in December. The Germany international was criticised for his lack of impact as Liverpool's Premier League title defence quickly fell apart.
Slot frequently defended his summer signing, but Wirtz has now explained that chats with Nagelsmann really helped his confidence that things would turn. "The coach always supported me during the difficult phase after my move to Liverpool and always had an open ear for me," Wirtz said on German TV show Sportschau. "He gave me tips and reassured me, that has brought us closer together."
Many pundits questioned whether Wirtz's game could be a success in the Premier League initially. "It wasn't an easy phase," he added. "It's sometimes good that things don't always go upwards and that you experience a dip and grow stronger because of it.
"That's how I see it now as well, it has made me a bit stronger. I had to overcome resistance and adapt, I had to learn to become stronger and hold onto the ball."
Wirtz's form has picked up as the season has progressed and he now has six goals and nine assists in 40 appearances across all competitions. He scored twice and assisted two goals for Germany in their 4-3 win over Switzerland last week and will be a key part of Nagelsmann's side at the World Cup this summer.
Florian Wirtz of Germany after being substituted by Head coach Julian Nagelsmann
Florian Wirtz has a good relationship with Julian Nagelsmann(Image: Ralf Ibing/Getty Images)
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"I had to keep believing in myself that at one point it had to click because I was telling myself 'you did so good in Germany, you can't just forget how to play football like this here'," he told the BBC in January.
"It was not easy to have the confidence on the pitch, but I think I dealt really good with it. Even when the start wasn't easy, I am so happy I decided like this [to join Liverpool]."
He played an hour on Monday night in Germany's 2-1 friendly win over Ghana and will now return to Liverpool. They face Manchester City in the quarter finals of the FA Cup on Saturday before the first of their two legs against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last eight.
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