Florian Wirtz has dismissed criticism from pundits, saying he pays no attention to their opinions, after playing a key role in Liverpool's 1-0 win over Brighton on Sunday.
The German midfielder, who joined Liverpool for £116.5 million from Bayer Leverkusen in 2025, has faced scrutiny throughout his time at the club. After a challenging debut season under Arne Slot, he now appears to be settling under manager Andoni Iraola, with Liverpool securing their fourth consecutive victory.
Wirtz's shot deflected off Pascal Gross to open the scoring, before Bradley Barcola set up Alexander Isak for a second goal minutes later. He was substituted in the 65th minute after receiving treatment on the pitch.
Wirtz Responds to Critics
When asked about the attention on his performances, Wirtz told the BBC: "Maybe I'm just an interesting guy, you know? No, I just play my football, and if people want to talk about me or judge me, that's their job. I am not focusing on that. I just want to play football, and more, I cannot do."
His most vocal critic has been Jamie Carragher, who has repeatedly questioned whether Liverpool have seen value for their investment. After a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, Carragher said: "There is no way Wirtz should be playing ahead of Gravenberch. What Florian Wirtz is doing for Liverpool is not enough right now. He's played 55, 60 games for Liverpool. He shouldn't be in the Liverpool team right now. I don't want to hammer Liverpool players. But we're not saying this after five-ten games, we're saying this after 50-60 games. Wirtz never looks like scoring a goal. You don't come away thinking he missed chances or he worked the goalkeeper. There was absolutely nothing today where you thought he put someone through, or nearly scored. There's absolutely no goal threat whatsoever."
Injury Update
In September, Carragher added: "I don't think Wirtz is in poor form since he came to Liverpool. I actually think what we're seeing is what he is. I don't see how he's going to hurt you. It's just neat and tidy. And in some way, the price tag for that type of player should be half of what Liverpool have paid. The worry for Wirtz now is that his performances so far, or what he's given Liverpool, is so low."
Regarding Wirtz's injury, Iraola told Sky Sports: "Unfortunately, he had to leave the pitch with a small twist of the ankle. It doesn't look very big but we are playing every three days so we need to see where he is." Wirtz has one goal and three assists so far this season.
