Florian Wirtz is not having an easy start at Liverpool. However, former United star Dimitar Berbatov is now defending the German.
Normally, Manchester United and FC Liverpool are bitter rivals – but for Reds newcomer Florian Wirtz, former United top star Dimitar Berbatov made an exception.
Despite the mixed performances at Liverpool so far, the Bulgarian vehemently defended Wirtz against any criticism in the podcast “Rio Ferdinand Presents”: “I love him. He is a fantastic player. He will be incredible, believe me.”
Berbatov, who spent his most successful football years at Bayer Leverkusen (68 goals in 154 games between 2001 and 2006) and Manchester United (48 goals in 108 games between 2008 and 2012), is convinced that Wirtz can overcome his initial difficulties.
The 44-year-old advises the ex-Leverkusen player above all else: “Hopefully he will be patient. Hopefully he has good people around him, his agent, his family, whatever. Hopefully the coach sees his qualities as everyone sees them.”
Berbatov compares Wirtz to Modric
If Wirtz gets the necessary time, Berbatov is sure that Wirtz will also be successful.
The 22-year-old even reminds him of Luka Modric, who is currently still playing for AC Milan at the age of 40: “Of course, you can argue that his (Wirtz) stature is not ideal for the Premier League. But the great players of his position, like Modric, also have this stature.”
Berbatov finds particularly impressive about Wirtz, “the way he sees football, how he looks for free spaces, how he knows how to position himself, his ball touches, his improvisation, his eye for passes and goals.”
Therefore, he is convinced that Wirtz will prevail at Liverpool if he and his environment have the necessary patience for it.
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