Exclusive | Lewis Steele on Florian Wirtz finding form under Andoni Iraola

Exclusive | Lewis Steele on Florian Wirtz finding form under Andoni Iraola Florian Wirtz is enjoying his best run of form since joining Liverpool, registering a goal and two assists across his last five appearances.Speaking exclusively to Get German Football News, Daily Mail reporter Lewis Steele — who primarily covers Liverpool and Everton — discussed the 23-year-old’s difficult start at Anfield, the considerable expectations that accompanied his arrival, and the factors behind his recent improvement.“When Wirtz signed for Liverpool, it felt like a superstar signing. It felt like a real coup for the sporting director Richard Hughes. Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Real Madrid all had a pop at signing him, but Liverpool beat them to the punch. Fans were buzzing, and it felt like they had bought a world-beater.”Those expectations made Wirtz’s initial struggles all the more conspicuous. Steele believes a combination of physical, psychological, and sporting factors prevented the Germany international from settling quickly.“At first it was physical. He was not ready for the intense demands of the Premier League. He looked short of energy in the second halves of games. In the second half of the year, he bulked up, but then it was a mental problem as he struggled for confidence.”The wider circumstances at Liverpool hardly helped. The club were still dealing with the devastating death of Diogo Jota in the summer of 2025, while several of Liverpool’s new arrivals were attempting to establish themselves amid a difficult atmosphere.Wirtz also struggled to develop consistent relationships with Liverpool’s attacking players.“He also failed to get a good partnership going with other forwards. Isak was always injured, and Mo Salah’s form was all over the place,” Steele added.Florian Wirtz begins to flourish under Andoni IraolaThere were flashes of Wirtz’s quality throughout his debut campaign, particularly in Europe, but consistency remained elusive.“He never played well for a full game, but there were moments in each match where you thought, ‘Wow, he’s cracked it.’ He played better in the Champions League than in the domestic games.”Much has changed since Andoni Iraola arrived from Bournemouth in the summer and set about rebuilding Liverpool following their disappointing 2025/26 campaign.Wirtz now appears considerably more comfortable both within the squad and in Iraola’s system. The return of Alexander Isak and arrival of Bradley Barcola have also provided him with attacking partners whose movement better complements his own.“Wirtz has settled more now, feels more at home and confident in the group. A big factor has been the return of Isak plus the arrival of Barcola, two forwards who he is getting an intrinsic understanding with. Tactically, Iraola wants Wirtz to be close to the No. 9 – be it Isak or whoever – and this gets him lots of touches in dangerous areas.”Steele also highlighted the composition of Liverpool’s midfield as a significant factor in Wirtz’s improvement.“Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister or the youngster Trey Nyoni offer a more solid base behind him, whereas Szoboszlai might get in Wirtz’s way. I think that is the key. And also the wingers being different. Salah would often drift inside, so he and Wirtz would be looking to find the same spaces. Barcola or Rio Ngumoha like to stay wide and are more traditional wingers. This gives Wirtz room to flourish.”That positional balance appears to be bringing the best out of Liverpool’s German playmaker. With greater stability behind him, width around him, and a more natural connection with the centre-forward ahead, Wirtz is increasingly finding the spaces in which he was at his most dangerous in Germany.After a difficult first season at Anfield, Liverpool are finally beginning to see the player whose arrival generated so much excitement.GGFN | Brook Genene