“He is simply world-class” – Völler comes to Wirtz’s defence amid Liverpool criticism

Germany sporting director Rudi Völler has publicly defended Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz amid recent criticism from the English media. Speaking to Bild am Sonntag, Völler described the 23-year-old as world-class and expressed confidence that he will adapt and succeed in England over time.

Wirtz joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen over a year ago and continues to face high expectations at Anfield. Following a substitute appearance in Germany's 1-0 defeat to Greece, Wirtz is expected to start for manager Jürgen Klopp against Serbia on Thursday.