„Surprised by the pace“: Rooney compares Wirtz to Schweinsteiger | OneFootball

Florian Wirtz has arrived in the Premier League. With his first goal for Liverpool FC, the 22-year-old not only decided an important game, but also convinced a prominent critic. After initial scepticism, Wayne Rooney is now clearly impressed by the development of the German international – and draws a remarkable comparison with an FC Bayern legend

Wirtz scored the decisive goal in the Reds‘ 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, celebrating his first goal in England’s elite league. It was a moment that also provided a talking point on the BBC’s „Match of the Day“ programme. Rooney had words of praise for the summer signing and made it clear: „He’s showing signs of being an absolute top player. I think he can be that for Liverpool as well.“

Things got particularly interesting when Rooney compared Wirtz to a former companion. „I remember Bastian Schweinsteiger when he came to Manchester United. He was surprised by the pace in the Premier League. He liked to hold the ball up and slow the game down. Sometimes you need time to get used to it,“ explained the former England captain. Rooney played with Schweinsteiger himself at the Red Devils at the time and knows the challenges of English soccer from personal experience

Much criticism of Wirtz in England

photo: IMAGO

The comparison is no coincidence: Wirtz also had to get used to the high tempo and physical intensity of the Premier League after his move from Bayer Leverkusen. The transfer of the attacking player caused quite a stir: a transfer fee of 125 million euros, which could rise to 150 million euros due to bonuses, made him one of the most expensive transfers in the history of the league. Expectations were correspondingly high – as was the criticism. Wirtz had long been Bayern’s dream transfer

Rooney had not held back on the subject of Wirtz in the early weeks. „It’s been tough for him, I don’t think there’s any denying that. He’ll be doing some deep soul-searching to sort it out,“ he said on YouTube’s „The Wayne Rooney Show“ in September. At the time, he openly doubted the German’s fit in the Reds‘ system, explaining: „I don’t see where he fits into Liverpool’s system,“ which is why he even suggested „Wirtz is actually detrimental to Liverpool’s balance and style of play.“