Germany should be building their World Cup team around the talents of Florian Wirtz if they are to claim a historic fifth World Cup in the USA on July 19 - and Liverpool should be copying the blueprint.
That is according to former Reds midfielder and Champions League hero Vladimir Smicer, who has been assessing the German playmaker's situation ahead of the showpiece international tournament in North America.
Liverpool broke their transfer record to sign Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen last summer, holding off strong interest from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in the process.
His arrival was greeted with huge excitement and expectation but the £116m man did not make the impact anticipated as Arne Slot's side struggled for consistent form all season.
Wirtz played several different positions under the Dutch coach, who has since been relieved of his duties at Anfield and replaced by former Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, but could only return five Premier League goals in 33 appearances for the Reds.
Nevertheless, his stock remains high and he will be a key player for Germany at the World Cup.
And ex-Czech Republic star Smicer, who famously won the Champions League with Liverpool in his final match for the club in 2005, believes that building a team around a talent like Wirtz is key to success for both club and country.
Speaking exclusively to Casinostugan, Smicer said: “I think the price tag and the transfer money from Leverkusen to Liverpool was big, and the pressure was on Wirtz with statistics about how much his goals and assists cost.
“That pressure from the media and fans is behind him now. He's preparing for the World Cup with his team-mates for the national team.
“But a player like him will be under pressure all the time. You have to perform for Liverpool, and now for Germany. They will expect a lot from him. Two years ago at the European Championship, expectations were not that high, but this time he's two years older and has more experience.
“They need to build the German team around him. At Leverkusen, the team was built for him and he was a free player with wingers on the side and a striker. In Liverpool, we were trying to find his best position all season. He was playing right, left, as a striker, and behind the striker.”
Wirtz won the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen under Xabi Alonso without losing a match all season and weighed in with 11 goals in 31 appearances from an attacking central midfield role. He was crowned German Footballer of Year in 2025 and has picked up multiple other individual awards, yet he is still to justify his price tag on English soil.
“If you buy a player for 130 million euros, you need to put him in his favourite position and build the team around him,” said Smicer. “If you buy Wirtz and play him as a left-winger, you throw that money away. You need to play him in his best position and then change other players.
“If you spend that kind of money on Alexander Isak or Florian Wirtz, you must play them in their best position. That's the hard thing. If you play Wirtz as a winger, he will never give you as much. He will still perform, but he's not going to be at his best. So I hope for him and for Germany that they play him in his best position so he can perform.
“I think he was enjoying playing for Liverpool, but of course when he was a left-winger he was just trying to do the job. You don't feel the same confidence or feeling when playing in a different position.
“I just hope Andoni Iraola will find his position. I think his best position is behind the striker. Give him the freedom and it should work. If not, it's going to be tough.”
