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Speaking to kicker, Florian Wirtz has opened up about his move to Liverpool and what life has been like in the Premier League.
Wirtz’s future was the biggest transfer story in German football, with it first looking like he would choose between Manchester City and Bayern Munich, before he ended up moving to Liverpool.
On why he ended up moving to the Premier League, the 22-year-old said:
“I’ve spent my entire life in the Cologne region, with my parents and my inner circle. Therefore, it’s a more difficult step to leave that whole environment and move to another country with all the changes. And to a new league with a different style of play. Therefore, I would definitely say it’s a bigger challenge, one I consciously chose to overcome and become a better player.”
Later, adding on to his decision to move away from Bayer Leverkusen:
“For me personally, it was pretty clear early in the season, towards winter, that I needed a new challenge in the summer. Because I’m simply someone who’s very ambitious and needs something new every now and then to get out of my comfort zone and prove myself at a higher level. It was clear to me relatively early on that I could take that next step in the summer.”
Reports suggest that speaking to Liverpool’s head coach, Arne Slot, was a turning point in swaying the transfer in Liverpool’s favour. On his discussions with Slot, Wirtz said:
“The discussions with Arne were very, very good from the very beginning. He won me over from the very first meeting. He gave me clear ideas and a clear vision of how he could and wanted to use me in his team. This, combined with the composition of the team, really convinced me.”
Adding where the Dutchman sees his best fit:
“In the number 10 position—where I play best. I was brought in for that position because they trusted me to make the team better. And I’m trying to live up to that as best as I can.”
The Köln native was then asked about picking between Liverpool and Bayern Munich, who did everything possible to try and convince the 22-year-old to join, Wirtz said:
“I always felt I could do what I wanted to do. And that’s why I didn’t put any pressure on myself to make a decision as quickly as possible. I’d already thought about both clubs very intensively, and in the end, it wasn’t an easy decision. But I made it with 100 percent conviction, and I’m happy about it.”
Wirtz’s two games in English football have been mixed. Against Crystal Palace, he had an immediate impact, providing an assist for Hugo Ekitiké’s opener. While in his first Premier League game, Wirtz showed flashes of his skills, but also demonstrated that he still needs time to adapt to the style of play.
The 22-year-old’s next game for Liverpool is this evening against Newcastle United.
GGFN | Jack Meenan
