Florian Wirtz has had a slow start to life in English football, struggling to make a significant impact since his high-profile move.
However, former Germany international Didi Hamann is confident the £116million midfielder will adapt and succeed
Speaking to Grosvenor Casino ahead of Germany’s match tonight against Northern Ireland, Hamann said: “It’s a different game, it’s more physical, it’s quicker…
“When you go to England as a young player, you have to mature quickly. This is something he has to learn.”
“I don’t think Slot will worry about it, but there might be a time where he says, ‘Maybe it’s better I leave him out for half an hour or 60 minutes.
“And if the team does well, then you might have a problem.”
He added “I’d be disappointed if he doesn’t get into double figures for goals. He’s an exceptional talent, probably one of the best, if not the best, in that position in the world.”
Meanwhile, Emile Heskey believes Liverpool will have no regrets selling Luis Diaz but says patience is needed for Florian Wirtz to settle.
Heskey, part of Liverpool’s 2001 UEFA Cup, League Cup, and FA Cup-winning squad, says Diaz’s £65m move to Bayern Munich made business sense.
He adds the transfer has given Cody Gakpo a chance to prove himself, though he has yet to do so after three straight defeats.
“I think Gakpo needs to come into his own,” Heskey told Pundit Arena. “I think he’s got to show a little bit more, especially on that left wing. He needs to show a little bit more for me.
“I was hoping he could be the one that would be stepping into that void that Luis Diaz has left. I don’t think they regret selling Diaz though, business is business.
“No matter how much a team spends on a player, they’re still going to need a little period of bedding in and it might be longer for some than others. When you look at Luis Suarez, he hit the ground running.
“But not every player’s like that. Wirtz is needing that bedding in [period], especially with the price tag because that will be in his head as well.
“I don’t think [Wirtz’s start] would have dented his confidence. Sometimes you’ve got to take someone out of the firing line. You’ve got to remember this and we talk about it all the time with this being the toughest league in the world and being the most relentless as well.
“So some players need to be taken out the firing line and taken out the firing line for their own good, because if you ask the player, they’ll say, ‘no, keep me playing’. And it might not be right for them.
“So sometimes you take them out the firing line, give them a little freshen up, and then put them back in and slowly bring them back into the team. When you look at the intensity that he has to play at in this Liverpool side, I doubt he would’ve had to play like that ever before.
“So he’s got to get used to that and then as well, when you’re talking about defensively, you’ve got to say some of the Premier League defences are the best in the world. So I think you’ve just got to give the players like Wirtz time.”
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