Inside the mind of Florian Wirtz as Andoni Iraola era offers fresh Liverpool start | OneFootball

There was a minute’s applause at Anfield on Sunday for one of Liverpool’s iconic No 7s, a Bundesliga winner who commanded a record fee. Not Florian Wirtz, though he was to score in a 3-2 friendly defeat to Monaco, but the late Kevin Keegan.

It was a reminder of the lineage that comes with a shirt. Keegan’s £500,000 move to Hamburg in 1977 in turn facilitated Liverpool’s then club-record purchase of Kenny Dalglish for £440,000. Almost half a century later, Wirtz’s £100m arrival from Bayer Leverkusen made him the most expensive player in their history, albeit for less than three months before Alexander Isak cost still more.

Dalglish ended his debut season on Merseyside by scoring the goal that won the European Cup. Wirtz’s was no such triumph; neither individually nor collectively as the defending champions slumped to fifth. There were times when it felt that Wirtz played better than his statistics would suggest, others when it seemed he was suffering in a struggling side.

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Florian Wirtz is hoping to reach the heights he didn’t quite manage in his debut season at Liverpool (Getty)

The German’s verdict on his first year reflected that it was a mixed affair. “Difficult question but of course there were some games when I wasn't happy with myself, but also a lot of games when I felt good on the pitch,” he said. “Last season was difficult for the whole club but hopefully we have the right energy and mentality this season so every player can shine more."

Last year, Wirtz was only a substitute for some of the biggest games in autumn. He spent time on the left, in the middle and on the bench. He did not score in his first 22 outings and ended with 49 appearances, just seven goals and eight assists. In the Premier League, he only scored five and made three; that he had an xG of 7.58 and an xA of 5.38 showed those numbers could have been higher had finishing – both from him and others – been better. The creator instead ended the season with as many Premier League assists as James Hill, Ilia Gruev and Jan Paul van Hecke and fewer goals than Virgil van Dijk.

If the Premier League seemed to supply a culture shock, the initial blast came from Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth side, who played at ferocious pace at Anfield on Wirtz’s Premier League debut last August. Now Iraola is his manager.

“Especially in the last three years at Bournemouth you could see what he can do with a team,” he said. “We are looking forward to working with him. For me, it is only two weeks that I have been in training, so I can just say that I am enjoying it. I like the idea of football he has, so I am really looking forward to it.”

It helps that, whereas Arne Slot used Wirtz in different roles, Iraola was quick to say he wants to install the German in a central berth. Wirtz welcomed that. “We spoke about this because I think it is important to know which position you are going to play and I know that I can probably play different positions but No 10 is my favourite and my best position, so let's see how this works out,” he said.

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Andoni Iraola was quick to say he wants to install Wirtz in a central berth... (PA)

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...which Wirtz welcomed after uncertainty surrounding his position under Arne Slot (Getty)

The initial idea seems to be that Liverpool’s two £100m men will be paired, Wirtz acting as the supplier to Isak. They only combined for one goal last season and even that felt ill-fated: the Swede was injured when scoring against Tottenham in December. There were some encouraging signs against Monaco.

“Today and [the] last game against Leeds, we had some good combinations,” Wirtz said. “Also, we created some chances together. He is a very, very good player and I enjoy playing with him.”

Belatedly, Liverpool can hope the future they envisaged last summer finally arrives. They are nevertheless in another period of adjustment, to a new manager. If Slot’s football seemed too slow for a fanbase who spent years enjoying Jurgen Klopp’s style of play, Wirtz also wants them to play at a greater pace. “I think we have to get more intensity into our game and at times more control with the ball,” he said.

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Wirtz wants Liverpool to play at a greater pace (Getty)

Iraola is only one of his new managers. The other is Klopp, appointed by Germany as Julian Nagelsmann’s successor. The former Liverpool manager is yet to contact Germany’s first £100m man; it may be a fair guess, though, that two new coaches want to build teams around him.

For Wirtz, a double winner in his penultimate year at Leverkusen, part of the objective is winning something with Liverpool. Another is personal. “I just want to be the best version of myself,” he said. Liverpool have not really seen it yet. But a new season and a new start offers the chance for Wirtz to join the list of their magnificent No 7s.