“I don’t know if he has the belief” – Liverpool favourite hints he can’t see Wirtz working out

Florian Wirtz’s performances at Liverpool will be back in the spotlight this week after the international break.

A return to Germany and a debut under Jurgen Klopp appears to have revitalised the midfielder, who headed into the break under the cosh.

Serious questions are being asked about the Liverpool star, who is still struggling to show signs of improvement under Andoni Iraola in the early stages of the season. And that’s led to criticism and focus after a disappointing first season at Anfield.

Klopp has already moved to release some of that pressure during the international break. He’s insisted that Wirtz should be given time, given the circumstances that welcomed him at Liverpool following the death of Diogo Jota.

That seemed to have a positive effect as Wirtz impressed against Serbia, bagging a goal and as assist in the 2-0 win.

Not everyone is convinced

Now the question is whether he can kick on at Liverpool. Former Reds midfielder Didi Hamann is not convinced that he will.

“I don’t know if he still believes he can make it,” he told Sky Germany.

“When I see him for Liverpool, I often get the impression that he’s not happy. That’s a player who has joy; you see that with every action and say he’s just doing it. He plays like a child used to on the field, he just enjoys playing football.

“And I haven’t seen that in him for months, and I don’t know if he still has this belief to say, I will prevail.

“Because of course, with every game, with every week, the criticism gets bigger, and the belief or this thinking that he says, no, I’ll get my way, might be a little less.

“I don’t know if he still has that. For me, he doesn’t make that impression at the moment.”

Right move, wrong time

Wirtz’s struggles at Liverpool have been difficult to watch for his fellow German. In fact, he was encouraged by the midfielder’s decision to make the move to the Premier League in the first place.

“I think it’s good that he went or wanted to go to England,” he added.

“Because of course it is the league where the best players go and is probably the toughest league. He had played and that he wants to assert himself there, that appealed to me at first. In retrospect, would he do it again, maybe not.”

He also agrees with Klopp’s decision to point out the circumstances of Wirtz’s arrival He thinks the German was very unlucky on that front.

“Of course, you mustn’t forget, Klopp said it again this week. That was the most unfavourable moment imaginable, there was this tragic death of Diogo Jota,” he concluded.

“Yeah, then for the first two or three weeks you’re just at memorial services. You haven’t even known the player, you come there, the dressing room, he has other things on his mind.

“And that was of course the most unfavourable moment imaginable, yeah, you can’t choose something like that, something like that is insane. And of course that does something to the players, right? So, it was the most unlucky time.”

Wirtz’s drop from Leverkusen to Liverpool

All competitive club competitions, including domestic super cups.
Liverpool total covers his time since joining in summer 2025.
Figures checked on 6 October 2026.
Minutes-per-contribution figures are rounded to the nearest whole minute.