"The PL is much faster" - Florian Wirtz's father gives his take on son's start to life at Liverpool following blockbuster summer move

Florian Wirtz’s father, Hans-Joachim Wirtz, has leapt to his son’s defense amid criticism of his slow start to life at Liverpool. Wirtz, who signed with Liverpool in the summer, has yet to meet expectations following his big-money move.

With zero goals and assists from 10 Premier League games played so far under manager Arne Slot, the German midfielder has found himself under intense scrutiny. This is due to the vital role he playedwith Bayer Leverkusen during the 2023-24 campaign, leading the club to a historic double.

However, the 22-year-old now appears to be starting to find his form after starring in Liverpool’s last two matches – against Aston Villa and Real Madrid. Amid the criticism, Hans has now defended his son, Wirtz, claiming the Premier League is not as organised as the Bundesliga and expressing confidence about his son living up to his price tag.

"We are taking things very calmly and also believe that Florian will justify this price," he told ZDF. "The Premier League is much faster - a back and forth, not as organised as in the Bundesliga, but geared towards pace. Florian has settled in well with the team and his teammates certainly recognise his quality."

Liverpool signed Wirtz for a reported fee of £116 million from Leverkusen, making him the most expensive midfielder in Premier League history. He has only registered three assists but has yet to score a goal for the Merseyside club in 15 appearances across competitions.

Florian Wirz told ‘he’s done’ if he doesn’t quickly find his form at Liverpool

Former Netherlands international Wesley Sneijder has warned Florian Wirtz about the possibility of becoming a fringe player if he doesn’t quickly adapt to life at Anfield. Sneijder opined that German players sometimes struggle to adapt in other countries, suggesting that Wirtz could be experiencing the same issue.

“I always say this about players with the German or Dutch mentality. It is the same. You can play good in your own country but they can have problems adapting in different countries. The Dutch and the German players are like that and I see the same happening now with Florian Wirtz," Sneijder told AdventureGamers.com. “He felt comfortable in Germany. He was in the right spot. Now he made a big step and that's difficult because at big clubs you don't have the time to adapt. You already need to be there. If you come to the club as a big star then you have to show them immediately why they signed you and if you don't show them they don't care for you. “Wirtz is a big star in Germany but you have to be a big star on the pitch at Liverpool immediately and I felt like he had quite a problem in the beginning with this adaptation. Slowly, he is getting there but it needs to be faster and it needs to come quickly now, otherwise he’s done.”

Renowned for his versatility, Wirtz has been deployed in different positions in Slot’s setup, having played on both sides as a winger and as an attacking midfielder.

Edited by Ezekiel Olamide