Steven Gerrard shares what he thought when he first saw Florian Wirtz in person

Liverpool is taking on Marseille. Speaking to TNT Sports before the game, Steven Gerrard shared his first impressions of big-money summer signing Florian Wirtz

Steven Gerrard has been full of praise for Florian Wirtz(Image: James Holyoak/MB Media/Getty Images)

Florian Wirtz has had a curious start to his Liverpool career, quietly creeping up to four goals and seven assists in all competitions without ever really seizing games by the scruff of the neck. His influence has grown in recent weeks, but Steven Gerrard is convinced that there is a lot more to come.

Given the reputation he arrived with, and the potential $156 million (£116 million) with which Liverpool parted, there were expectations that Wirtz would make an instant splash. His rather steadier start has led more reactive quarters to inexplicably write him off.

The German has not been especially aided by the steep drop-off over which Arne Slot has presided since securing the championship last season. Rather than sliding into a well-oiled machine, Wirtz has been tasked with helping to drag the team forward, much like Gerrard had to do so many times in his own storied Reds career.

But expecting Wirtz to emulate prime Gerrard straight away (or indeed ever) was always doomed to be a somewhat unfair bar to clear. And the legend himself has given the summer signing a major seal of approval.

"I watched him before he came to Liverpool and he competed against one of my Rangers teams," revealed Gerrard, reflecting on his first impressions. "This kid is potentially going to be a world superstar."

That would be a notable remark from almost anyone. But coming from Gerrard, who earned that superstar status for himself, it carries extra weight.

It's even more eye-catching given that Gerrard first encountered Wirtz when the playmaker had only recently turned 17. It was a time when Kai Havertz was the established star of the Bayer Leverkusen team, but the precocious teenager was the one who caught the Liverpool legend's eye.

Steven Gerrard first encountered Florian Wirtz in 2020, when his Rangers side faced Bayer Leverkusen(Image: Martin Meissner/Pool via Getty Images)

Significantly, Gerrard has not changed his mind since watching Wirtz at Liverpool. He emphasized the midfielder's tender age and need to develop in a new league and country.

"When I was 22, I was nowhere near my peak or where I wanted to be," Gerrard reminded TNT Sports viewers. "You're seeing him grow now and evolve.

"He is starting to blossom, but there is loads more to come. It's clear he can get to a world-class level."

There have undoubtedly been flashes of that quality and potential. With his low center of gravity, quick changes of direction, and incisive passing, you could almost bring yourself to whisper the name Lionel Messi.

Wirtz has had flashes of brilliance in a Liverpool jersey(Image: Miguel MEDINA / AFP via Getty Images)

And while Gerrard is probably guilty of playing down his own considerable talents at the age of 22 (he'd just played a fairly large role in a treble-winning campaign), it's true that the world is still at Wirtz's feet. Factoring in the need to adjust to a whole new league and country, there can be absolutely no complaints about where he currently finds himself.

Gerrard emphasized some of those off-pitch factors, stressing that a major life change is always going to have an impact on the field. As he grows more and more comfortable in Liverpool, Wirtz is only going to get better.

For anyone wavering on the German, this endorsement should be more than enough. If he can scale half the heights of Gerrard, he will leave as a bona fide Anfield legend.