Virgil van Dijk details how Florian Wirtz can ignite Liverpool career after latest setback | OneFootball

If few know what it has been like to be Florian Wirtz in the last few months, Virgil van Dijk probably has a better idea than most, and not merely because he is a Liverpool FC teammate. The Dutchman has been there: signed for a supersized fee, with sky-high expectations, arriving from a smaller club to be plunged into the spotlight as Liverpool’s record buy. Wirtz became Liverpool’s first £100m man. Yet Van Dijk’s cost might have stood out still more: some £75m, making him the most expensive defender in history when he joined in 2018.

But there their paths diverged. Van Dijk ranked as an immediate success. He scored a late winner on his Liverpool debut; to compound it, it was a Merseyside derby. Wirtz got an assist four minutes into his Liverpool career but it was in a Community Shield that was lost. After 18 games and four months, he still has not scored. Even when he thought he did, Liverpool’s equaliser against Sunderland on Wednesday was instead deemed a Nordi Mukiele own goal.

Wirtz has been benched for four demanding Premier League games. His introduction to life at Liverpool has coincided with their worst run in over seven decades. He has been No 10, winger and substitute; Liverpool have struggled to adapt to him and vice versa. Van Dijk sounded supportive, sympathetic about the size of the fee, but nevertheless espoused a theory of individual self-reliance. Wirtz has to cope with being called the £116m man.

“You can talk about it as much as you want, do whatever you want, but you have to deal with it yourself,” he said. “He is still such a young, talented boy who came to the club for a lot of money but he didn't pay that money, he's part of the bigger picture of trying to be a success here.”

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Florian Wirtz reacts during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Sunderland at Anfield (AFP/Getty)

It helped Van Dijk that there was an early upturn after his signing. Four months into his time at Liverpool, he was playing in a Champions League final whereas, at the equivalent stage, Wirtz is in a team that has been beaten nine times in 14 games. The defender can probably testify that a price tag is mentioned less when a signing is regarded as a success. Before then, though, he managed to brush it aside.

“They could say whatever they wanted to me but it's about getting going,” he added. “Start working and just enjoy being part of the biggest club in the world and fight for the badge and show your qualities each and every day. I'm pretty sure it will be fine but at the moment we are all trying to find consistency on the pitch with our results and we need everyone in their best shape.”

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Florian Wirtz celebrates Liverpool’s equaliser (PA Wire)

And Van Dijk remains convinced that Wirtz’s best is very good. He was named the Bundesliga’s player of the year in 2023-24 and his captain sees scope for further improvement.

“There's a very good reason why a club like us bought him: he's an outstanding, world-class player in my eyes who can only become even better but it will take a bit of time. He has to stay level-headed: don't get too high, don't get too low,” said a man who normally cuts a measured figure himself.

Arguably, three of Wirtz’s four best performances have come in the Champions League, against Real and Atletico Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt, and he has made two goals in Europe. He had his part in the leveller against Sunderland and excelled on Sunday at West Ham but he remains without an assist as well as a goal in the Premier League.

Other statistics show Wirtz in the top 20 for most chances created in the division this season and Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann has argued the problem is that Liverpool have missed them. Van Dijk believes the answer is to ignore the unflattering facts.

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(REUTERS)

“Don't get dragged into the outside world of when it's very good or very bad and don't get dragged into the numbers game,” he advised. “Nowadays there are a lot of eyes on if you score goals or have an assist or keep clean sheets but it is also about what you see and the contribution you have for the team, that's not just shown in the numbers but in what you see and that should sometimes be the focus. For him it is about keeping his head down, keep playing, keep working. We all know how quickly things can change.”

Maybe Wirtz is still waiting for that transformative moment. The last week would suggest he is getting closer. But perhaps it was typical that even when he thought he had scored, he had not.