Slot: Wirtz’s physical transformation unleashing his ‘special’ talent at Liverpool | OneFootball

Arne Slot has credited Florian Wirtz for the physical transformation that has ignited his Liverpool career.

Wirtz joinedLiverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal that could reach £116m in the summer, a fee that broke the British transfer record at the time, before teammate Alexander Isak's move to Anfield later in the summer.

The Germany international endured a tough start atLiverpool and failed to score in his first 21 appearances for the Reds.

However, Wirtz has grown in recent weeks and has been nominated for thePremier League Player of the Month award for January.

He has scored six times in his last 10 appearances in all competitions and has formed an exciting connection with Hugo Ekitike. The summer signings have directly combined for six goals in all competitions this season.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's clash with Manchester City, Slot said hard work behind the scenes has been the driving factor in Wirtz's form. He said the 22-year-old needed to adjust physically to thePremier League to get the most from his 'special' talent.

"I think you saw first and foremost, full credit to the player on the pitch and the gym, putting in the work," Slot said at his pre-match press conference.

"If someone is struggling physically at the start, you have to keep them in to improve and he was an example of that.

"He didn't improve that much on the ball because he has always been special but he has the connections with his team-mates.

"Off the ball is the biggest improvement with him and that combo makes you ready for thePremier League. The Premier League is about both on and off the ball."

Another recruit who has impressed in recent weeks is Milos Kerkez. Like Wirtz, the left-back faced criticism in the season's early period but has improved considerably in recent performances. Slot is confident that the best is still to come.

"What has changed with him? It's what you get when you play longer and if you keep playing those players when they sometimes have moments that aren't as good as others. This is also normal for younger players and you can just keep trusting and believing in them and we know who we signed, his potential and he has shown that if you keep playing him.

"But there are a lot of games to play and it was a combo forPremier League