Florian Wirtz says he has already spoken to Andoni Iraola about playing behind the striker, and his own view is clear enough, he sees himself as a No.10. He also framed Liverpool’s summer as a reset after a season he was not happy with, despite joining Liverpool for £116m from Bayer Leverkusen.
Wirtz and Iraola's central-role talk
"Of course. I mean, I was always more like a No.10. But I play where the manager puts me," Wirtz said. "We've spoken about that as well. Let's see what happens this season."
That fits the broader message from his interview in Chicago. He said he enjoyed the training, especially the possession work, and described the camp as a fresh start with the new manager and staff.
He was also blunt about last season. "Yeah, of course I wasn't happy at all – about the season, I mean," Wirtz said. "I think we expected much more last season. I think we start from zero this season."
The numbers explain why Liverpool are so interested in getting him into the right areas. Wirtz scored seven goals and registered ten assists in 49 appearances last season, and the season sample attached to him here includes three goal contributions in just four appearances and 371 minutes.
Liverpool's reset after a mixed league campaign
The cleaner reading is that this is less about a permanent positional switch and more about Liverpool trying to make room for their most expensive signing to influence games in the centre. Wirtz said he is happy to play where the manager wants him, but the No.10 talk is still the most revealing part of his first public comments this summer.
Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League last season, with a 17-9-12 record, so the reset message is not just cosmetic. It reflects a side that needs sharper ideas from its attacking midfielders, and Wirtz is plainly being asked to be part of that.
The friendly against Leeds also carried that same mix of promise and volatility. Luke Chambers scored inside seven minutes, but Leeds scored four goals in the second half to complete a 2-4 comeback. Leeds also had Gabriel Gudmundsson limping off with a suspected muscle issue, while Trey Nyoni impressed in the same game.
Wirtz’s own line is the one that will matter most to Liverpool supporters. He is open to the role, he has already discussed it with Iraola, and the club now have a very clear idea of where he wants to receive the ball when the season starts for real.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →
