Florian Wirtz's dad speaks out on son's Liverpool troubles after £116million summer switch

Florian Wirtz's father has spoken out on his son's difficult start at Liverpool, insisting the £116million signing is settling well despite a slow introduction to English football.

The 22-year-old joined from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer after Liverpool beat several European rivals to his signature, sealing one of the biggest deals in Premier League history. 

But Wirtz is yet to record a goal or assist in ten league appearances and has been omitted from several recent starting line-ups by Arne Slot.

His father, Hans Wirtz, said the family always expected an adaptation period and believes his son is now coming to grips with the Premier League's demands.

'My thought from the very beginning was to wait and see how the first ten league games went,' he told Bild. 'We and Florian are perfectly happy with that.

'The incredible speed, the back and forth, that was very impressive for the first few games. The distances covered and the speed were significantly greater. The style of play is sometimes enormously different because it doesn't seem as organised, but rather more focused on pace.'

That adaptation came under fresh scrutiny this week after Arsene Wenger claimed Wirtz's summer demand to play as a No 10 had initially 'destroyed' Liverpool's midfield balance, forcing Slot to reshuffle before recent wins over Aston Villa and Real Madrid restored stability.

Hans, however, has no doubts over his son's long-term fit at Liverpool but acknowledged that both player and club are still finding their rhythm.

'I think the league table clearly shows that there's still room for improvement in this football machine,' he said.

'But the mechanics will sort that out. I hope he's such a good player that he can adapt to the demands there and that he enjoys it just as much as he did in the Bundesliga.'

Despite the slow start, Wirtz's father believes his son 'has settled in well with the team and that his teammates certainly recognise his quality'.

He described the move to Anfield as 'exciting', given the number of new arrivals Liverpool added during the summer rebuild.

Wirtz Sr also confirmed that Slot played a key role in convincing the youngster to join the Reds, adding: 'It was important that Arne Slot spoke with Florian and explained his value to him.

'He showed how he envisioned the collaboration and that convinced Florian.'

Slot has since backed Wirtz to find his best form, saying Liverpool must give the German freedom to express himself rather than pin him to one role.

'Florian can play in more than only one position,' the Liverpool boss said. 'He can play off the left, which he did almost all the time in Leverkusen when Xabi Alonso came and introduced his 3-4-3 system. 

'Before, he played as a 10 in a 4-3-3. It is more about getting him positions where he is good, rather than being focused on "is he a 10, is he an 11, is he an eight?"'

Wirtz provided two assists in the 5-1 Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt and impressed again in the 1-0 victory against Real Madrid on Tuesday night, hinting that the tide may be turning.

Liverpool face Manchester City on Sunday, where Wirtz could again feature from a wide-left role as Slot looks to build on back-to-back wins and maintain momentum.