Florian Wirtz praised his Germany teammates after Thursday's 2-0 Nations League win over Serbia, a match in which Jurgen Klopp handed the Liverpool talent the captain's armband for the second half.
Wirtz made his mark at the Allianz Arena by setting up Tom Bischoff's opener just before the interval, then scored himself 61 minutes in to seal Germany's first three points of the tournament.
Wirtz on the win and the armband
Speaking in his post-match interview, Wirtz had nothing but praise for his fellow players. "It was incredibly enjoyable," he said. "Every single player left everything out on the pitch. We followed the game plan and got almost everything right."
"The players around me made it easy for me. We had a lot of movement. That's when you can shine."
Klopp made the decision to hand the captain's armband to Wirtz in the second half after Serge Gnabry made way for Said El Mala. It marked the first time Wirtz had led his country on the world stage.
"It's something special. It wasn't on my to-do list, but it makes you proud," he explained. "I still tried to keep giving everything and make sure we saw the game out. We managed to do that."
Mixed tournament so far
It has been a mixed tournament for Germany, who sit third in Group B of the Nations League standings. Klopp's men drew 1-1 with the Netherlands in their opener before a shock 1-0 loss to Greece on Sunday.
Thursday's win over Serbia should give Wirtz and his teammates confidence as they prepare for a return meeting with Greece on Sunday, October 4 at the Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki.
Return to Liverpool duties
After that, Wirtz will return to club duties with Liverpool, having failed to make much of a mark at Anfield so far. After a largely lacklustre debut season under Arne Slot in 2025/26, Andoni Iraola has also failed to bring the best out of the 23-year-old in the new term.
While the Reds are unbeaten this term, sitting sixth in the Premier League with two wins and three draws, Wirtz has managed just a single assist from Liverpool's five opening matches. Fans will be hoping he clicks into action following a fruitful international break.
Liverpool host Manchester City on Sunday, October 11 in their Premier League return, with the Reds looking to capitalise on a volatile situation regarding Enzo Maresca's men, who are currently embroiled in a battle with the English top flight over breaches of financial rules. Whether that will impact City's performance on the pitch remains to be seen.
