Michael Owen Predicts Liverpool Player as ‘Player of the Season’ Despite Criticisms of Lost Passion

Michael Owen has claimed that there is no question about Florian Wirtz’s talent following scrutiny over the start to his Liverpool career.

The Reds broke the British transfer record twice this summer, first doing so to sign the German in a deal worth £116.5million in June.

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Liverpool later shattered their own record on deadline day with the £125m capture of Alexander Isak, who is yet to make his debut.

As a result, Wirtz has spent the opening weeks of the new season as the face of the Premier League champions’ eventual £446m splurge.

However, despite flashes of quality, Liverpool fans are still awaiting a breakout performance in red from the club’s new No.7.

The former Bayer Leverkusen playmaker is yet to register a single Premier League goal or assist in his first three matches in England.

“It’s fair to say that he hasn’t set the Premier League alight,” Owen admitted exclusively to talkSPORT, via betting site BetSelect.

“But it’s also fair to say there have been three games, and you can absolutely tell he’s quality.

“In the Community Shield game, he did a couple of things that took my breath away, and I was like, ‘I’m more excited about seeing him than any other player this season.’”

Wirtz joined Liverpool as one of only two players to both score and assist ten or more goals across the last two seasons in Europe’s big five leagues, alongside his new teammate, Mohamed Salah.

The 22-year-old lay on Hugo Ekitike’s opener in the Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace, but has struggled to stamp his mark on Premier League wins over Bournemouth, Newcastle, and Arsenal.

Owen claimed: “It’s fair to say he’s been reasonably quiet in the three games so far, but he is adapting to a new league.”

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‘No question at all about Wirtz’s talent’

“He is adapting to new teammates,” former Liverpool striker Owen continued. “There are more things that he’s got to get used to.

“There’s no question at all about his talent. He could be absolutely anything he wants to be.

“I’m including the player of the season, one of the best players in the world, in the future.

“But it is possibly just going to take him a little bit of time. I would not be worried at all.

“I think it is premature, but I’m not going to sit here and say he’s not been quiet in the first three games, but they have won all three games, and he’s played a part, and I’m sure he’ll continue to grow into it.”

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Wirtz receives brutal German media verdict

Pressure on Wirtz ramped up during the international break, having come in for some harsh criticism while playing for his national team.

The German international surprised many in his homeland by moving to Anfield over linking up with Bundesliga giants, Bayern Munich.

Wirtz was lambasted by local media for his performance in Die Mannschaft’s shock 2–0 defeat to Slovakia last week.

He responded in the perfect fashion by scoring an inch-perfect free-kick to seal a 3–1 win over Northern Ireland on Sunday.

However, Wirtz still found himself the target of German critics, with BILD rating him a grade three despite his stunning goal.

Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung gave him a four and wrote: “He seems to have forgotten his joy of playing in Liverpool.

“But not his free-kick skills in the 3-1 win, which boosted his rating.”

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Wirtz responds to critics

The German Footballer of the Year showed what he made of all the criticism with his celebration on Sunday, by pointing to his ear.

“It’s another league, another type of football,” Wirtz said of his slow start during an interview with RTL. “I’m happy to be there.”

Asked if he believes he will open his account for Liverpool soon, he added: “I have no idea when I’ll score my first goal, hopefully in the next game [against Burnley], but it will come at some point.”