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Florian Wirtz is yet to hit his stride in the Premier League, but the Liverpool man has given a hint as to what might need to change for that to happen.
Since his $157 million (£116 million) transfer from Bayer Leverkusen this summer, Wirtz hasn't made a goal contribution in the Premier League. This has led to intense scrutiny, with a host of pundits weighing in on his performances.
With the current Premier League champions also struggling, having lost their last three matches before the October international break, criticism has only increased, though Wirtz has impressed in moments.
The way Arne Slot is utilizing the 22-year-old has sparked much debate, although there's no consensus within the wider soccer community about where Wirtz should be playing.
So far in his Liverpool career, the midfielder has mainly been used as a No. 10, but he's also been deployed on the left wing a few times, including in the Reds' loss to Crystal Palace.
If you're keeping tabs on the multitude of pundits debating Wirtz's position, you'll find a fairly even split between those insisting he must play as a No. 10 and those who are adamant he should be used on the left wing.
Until Liverpool's performances improve, Wirtz will likely continue to be under scrutiny. However, the German does have his own preference when it comes to his favored position.
Wirtz recently participated in an interview with Sky Sports, where he responded to video messages from his nearest and dearest regarding his journey thus far before his switch to Liverpool.
Two of his previous FC Koln youth mentors, Martin Heck and Markus Daun, both featured in the piece, with Wirtz acknowledging the significant impact they had on his development.
After securing the German Championship with Koln Under-17s in 2019 while under Heck's guidance, Wirtz reflected on how both managers helped unlock his potential.
"He [Heck] was just always there for us, motivated us, especially for me," he recalled. "He gave me the freedom on the pitch. He put me in the position where I have to be, like behind the striker on the No.10 and just gave me the freedom.
"Marcus was the same. There I was even captain in the second year in the U17s. They were coaches that gave me the confidence that I need, that I can just play my own game and be the best version of myself."
Meanwhile, during one of Daun's video contributions, the manager revealed details of a particular meeting he once conducted with Wirtz and how it simply reinforced his conviction that his fellow German was bound for greatness.
"I asked him in a meeting about his career goals," Daun recalled. "All the guys from the team said, 'Oh, I will be German championship winner this year and I will be in the starting XI.'".
"Florian said: 'I will win the Ballon d'Or in the future.' And I said, 'Okay'. Normally I would say, 'Okay, please stay realistic,' but in this case I said, 'Okay, go your way and you can achieve it!'
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"I knew from the beginning that he will go his way until the top of the world."
Wirtz would reveal his sole perspective on his Ballon d'Or aspirations, confessing with a laugh: "I was saying this every day when I was younger!".
In another section of the interview, Wirtz also dropped a potential clue regarding one of his motivations for selecting Liverpool ahead of a transfer to Bayern Munich, as he emphasized how crucial it had been for him to depart Leverkusen amicably.
"I'm really happy about this (that I left Leverkusen on good terms)," he confessed. "I would be really sad if it was the opposite.
"We achieved really, really big and incredible things together. In the end, we talked and were trustful and straight to each other to make the best possible thing for the move.
"Everyone was happy in the end and that's what really matters for me. I'm really happy about this."
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