Liverpool's club-record signing Florian Wirtz has been backed to come good by his compatriot and 2014 World Cup winner Benedikt Howedes, who insists the young German is "too good to fail" at Anfield.
The Struggle for Early Impact
Since his high-profile £100m move from Bayer Leverkusen, Florian Wirtz has found goals and Premier League assists hard to come by. The 21-year-old attacking midfielder is yet to score in his 21 appearances for the Reds, registering only two assists in the Champions League and one in the Community Shield. His adaptation has been so challenging that manager Arne Slot has omitted him from the starting line-up for several major fixtures, including matches against Everton, Chelsea, Manchester United, Aston Villa, and Inter Milan.
Howedes' Vote of Confidence
Despite the slow start, Benedikt Howedes, the former Schalke and Juventus defender, remains utterly convinced of Wirtz's ultimate success. "I would say he has so much quality, his mentality is so good and he will show how good he can be," Howedes stated. "I am pretty sure he will show this in Liverpool in the second part of the season because he is too good to fail."
Howedes pointed to Wirtz's phenomenal final season in Germany, where he was crowned Bundesliga Player of the Year for 2023-24 as Leverkusen won their first-ever title. "He was not only a player, he was the player," Howedes emphasised, recalling the joy Wirtz brought to the league.
The Reasons Behind the Slow Start
The World Cup winner provided a nuanced explanation for Wirtz's current struggles, highlighting a perfect storm of personal and professional adjustment. Wirtz is navigating his first ever club and country move as a young player, away from his immediate support network of family and friends.
More crucially, Howedes identified a trust deficit at Liverpool compared to his former club. "He doesn't have the players who know what he is fully capable of and maybe he doesn't feel the full trust from everyone; from the supporters, the club, the manager," Howedes analysed. "Everyone fully trusted him at Leverkusen and now he has to improve himself step by step at Liverpool."
Howedes is optimistic that this process is already underway, predicting a significant uplift in Wirtz's performances after the winter break. This resurgence is also vital for the German national team, with Howedes noting the need to get Wirtz back to his best ahead of the upcoming World Cup.
