"I just stay calm" – Florian Wirtz responds to early criticism of his Liverpool performances

Even though Liverpool are on a six-game winning streak in all competitions, Florian Wirtz has faced criticism for his early performances at his new club.

Having joined from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported record-breaking €133 million fee (including add-ons), expectations are naturally high.

And with Wirtz yet to register a goal or assist for the Reds in a competitive game, some have labelled his start in Merseyside as underwhelming.

The German international has now responded to the criticism in an interview with Sky Germany, saying:

“Of course, I would have liked to have already scored a goal or been involved in a few goals. But no matter what anyone says, I stay calm. I know what I can do, and I know that eventually I’ll show it fully on the pitch. So I just stay calm. That’s good advice.

“I try every day to do better than before. Sometimes there are phases when not everything goes your way. That hasn’t happened to me often in my career. Once I get through it – maybe it sounds harsh because I’m not playing badly, the goals and assists just haven’t come yet – it will happen eventually, and then everything will be fine,” Wirtz added.

“It’s no secret that I’d like to have achieved more so far, but I’m patient. As I said, I know exactly that I can play good football. Sooner or later, I’m sure things will return to normal.”