Florian Wirtz makes 'sad' transfer claim and tells Liverpool where best to play him

Florian Wirtz has yet to hit his stride since joining Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in an £116m deal this summer. The German playmaker hasn't made a goal contribution in the Premier League so far, leading to intense scrutiny and a host of pundits weighing in on his performances.

The reigning Premier League champions have also been off their game, losing their last three matches before the October international break, which has only amplified the criticism.

Arne Slot's deployment of the 22-year-old has also sparked much debate, with the wider football community in disagreement about where Wirtz should be best positioned on the pitch.

READ MORE: Florian Wirtz behaviour in training speaks volumes as Liverpool struggles continue

READ MORE: Florian Wirtz agreement reached as Liverpool struggles continue

So far in his Liverpool career, the midfielder has mainly played at No. 10, but he's also been put on the left-wing on a handful of occasions - including in the Reds' loss to Crystal Palace.

Among the multitude of pundits debating Wirtz's role, there's a fairly even divide between those insisting he must play at No. 10 and those adamant he should be used on the left-wing.

Clearly, until performances improve, neither Slot nor Wirtz can come out on top.

However, the German player does have his own preference when it comes to his favourite position.

Sorry to let down those hoping to witness the 22-year-old feature on the left flank instead of Cody Gakpo, but he has made it crystal clear that his preferred role is through the middle.

Wirtz recently spoke exclusively with Sky Sports for a special feature interview, where he reacted to video messages from his nearest and dearest about his journey thus far ahead of his switch to Liverpool.

Two of his FC Koln youth coaches, Martin Heck and Markus Daun, both featured in the piece, with Wirtz acknowledging them both for the part they played in his development.

And having secured the German Championship with Koln Under-17s in 2019 under Heck's guidance, Wirtz revealed how both helped bring out his finest qualities.

"He [Heck] was just always there for us, motivated us, especially for me," he remembered. "He gave me the freedom on the pitch.

"He put me in the position where I have to be, like behind the striker on the No.10 and just gave me the freedom.

"Marcus was the same. There I was even captain in the second year in the under-17s.

"They were coaches that gave me the confidence that I need, that I can just play my own game and be the best version of myself."

Meanwhile, in one of Daun's video contributions, the coach revealed details of one discussion he once had with Wirtz and how it only reinforced his conviction that his fellow countryman was bound for the very summit.

"I asked him in a meeting about his career goals," Daun recalled. "All the guys from the team said, 'Oh, I will be German championship winner this year and I will be in the starting XI.'".

"Florian said: 'I will win the Ballon d'Or in the future.' And I said, 'okay'.

"Normally I would say, 'Okay, please stay realistic,' but in this case I said, 'Okay, go your way and you can achieve it!'".

"I knew from the beginning that he will go his way until the top of the world."

Wirtz would reveal the truth behind his Ballon d'Or aspirations, confessing with a laugh: "I was saying this every day when I was younger!"

In another part of the interview, Wirtz also dropped a potential clue about why he opted for Liverpool instead of Bayern Munich, emphasising how crucial it was for him to depart Leverkusen amicably.

"I'm really happy about this (that I left Leverkusen on good terms)," he said. "I would be really sad if it was the opposite.

"We achieved really, really big and incredible things together. In the end, we talked and were trustful and straight to each other to make the best possible thing for the move.

"Everyone was happy in the end and that's what really matters for me and I'm really happy about this."

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.