“I wanted to be an instant success” – Florian Wirtz reflects on his start at Liverpool | OneFootball

Florian Wirtz at Liverpool: From Tentative Steps to Total Control

When Florian Wirtz arrived at Liverpool, the hype was deafening and the expectations even louder. A Bundesliga prodigy, a record-breaker, an unbeaten champion — the résumé promised instant lift-off. Reality, as he admits, had other plans. “I wanted it to be like an instant success,” he said. “But yeah, it didn’t come like this.”

That candour, more than any early-season stat line, tells you everything about his start to life in England.

The Weight of Expectation — and How Wirtz Carried It

Wirtz didn’t hide from the pressure. He leaned into it. “I was telling myself, you did so good in Germany… you can’t just forget how to play football like this here,” he said, framing adaptation not as an excuse but as a test of faith. The Premier League’s pace, physicality and unforgiving spotlight can rattle even seasoned stars; for a 21-year-old changing countries, systems and rhythms, it can feel like learning to speak a new footballing language.

Yet, instead of shrinking, Wirtz stayed stubbornly calm. He didn’t seek out sports psychologists or go public with self-doubt. “I’m not the person who likes to talk a lot about these things,” he laughed, preferring the quiet reinforcement of family and friends. In a squad full of big voices, that inner dialogue became his ballast.

Why Liverpool Was the Right Bet

The move itself was no accident. Wirtz spoke warmly of the courtship: “I had very good meetings with the manager… and also a few players contacted me.” One of them was Virgil van Dijk, who messaged to say he’d be happy if Wirtz came and “maybe I can help the team to get this step even better than they were last year.” When the captain of the defence calls, you listen.

Liverpool, fresh off a title, offered Wirtz a platform big enough to stretch him and a dressing room strong enough to catch him when it didn’t immediately click.

Photo: IMAGO

Finding Rhythm Through Relationships

If there’s been a visible turning point, it’s been the blossoming understanding with Hugo Ekitike. “It’s so much fun to play with him,” Wirtz said, praising his instincts and movement. “He knows how you move on the pitch, how you link up with each other.” Footballers often talk about chemistry; Wirtz and Ekitike look like they’ve been playing five-a-side together for years.

That comfort has unlocked the version of Wirtz Liverpool bought — the one who drifts between lines, plays on the half-turn and sees passing lanes before they exist.

The Human Side of a Rising Star

Away from Melwood and Anfield, Wirtz is endearingly ordinary. He loves padel, PlayStation and “a nice breakfast — scrambled egg, pancakes… I can eat a lot.” He’s the youngest of ten siblings, shy by nature, doted on by family. Even his dog, Zuma, comes with a shrug and a joke.

That groundedness matters. It’s why, after a bumpy start, he can now say, “I’m feeling much better than at the start of the season.”

What Comes Next?

Wirtz’s ambition remains undimmed — “a world champion” is still the ultimate goal — but Liverpool are already reaping the benefits of his patience. The numbers are rising, the influence is growing, and the noise has quieted into something more dangerous for opponents: expectation with evidence.

For a player who once feared he might have “forgot how to play football,” Wirtz has remembered — and then some.