Florian Wirtz: The First Interview

KopFan Echo

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00:00So, Florian, it's done. You're finally a Liverpool player. How are you feeling?

00:09I feel very happy and very proud. Finally, it's done. I was waiting for a long time and

00:22finally it's done and I'm really happy.

00:26It's clear you had some options this summer, including the chance to stay at Leverkusen.

00:33So, why Liverpool? Why are Liverpool the right choice?

00:37I just thought that it was the right point in my career to make the next step.

00:43Of course, I wanted to get to a club who's from the top three in the world.

00:50And in my opinion, Liverpool was one of them. I just saw myself in the best hands in Liverpool and

01:03I was really convinced by the people here, by the idea and everything that the club offers me.

01:13It was really good and in the end, it was also easy to decide for me to come to Liverpool.

01:22So, after you spoke to Liverpool, the feeling you had afterwards was,

01:26it was an easy decision for me to make?

01:28Yes, it was not that easy for me, for sure. Because I'm a German player. I play for a Germany national team.

01:38And so it was not easy for me to decide. But I think the talks with the coach and Richard and everybody

01:49was from the start on, from the very first time, was so good and just kept going like this.

01:58And with all the time I spoke to one of the club, I felt like this is a place I want to be.

02:07And yeah, so in the end, I was really 100% convinced I want to join Liverpool. And yeah, so there's the best choice.

02:21What did your family say about joining Liverpool? How did they feel?

02:24I think I was the first one in my family who was really into this club when they spoke to us or told us

02:38that they are interested in signing me. And yeah, I was for sure I didn't expect that Liverpool will be my next club.

02:50Yeah, but my family was supporting me and I didn't have to convince them about the club or something. And yeah, everything was so good.

03:07And I had, I wanted to join also to a different league in the end. And yeah, I think my family,

03:15they will love also to come here and spend time with me here and in the stadium. So I think they will like it as well.

03:24You said in the past that as a footballer, you learn the most from playing at the highest, highest level.

03:32Do you expect to improve as a player at Liverpool?

03:35Yeah, this was also a big point for me, that I will improve my own personal level and in physical levels.

03:51Because I think everyone knows that in Liverpool the players are machines and really strong and

04:01really physical. And I see this also as an opportunity to me to get better in these points.

04:09So yeah, I just thought this was the right place to be.

04:15You say about the players being machines, what was it like to play against Liverpool last November?

04:22It was a disappointing result, but how was the experience?

04:25Yeah, it was really tough to play here. But yeah, I was still thinking about the game when

04:35when I spoke to the coach or the other guys. And yeah, this was an example how it can be here.

04:46And yeah, as I said, it was really hard. We lost 4-0 and we had to run so much and lost almost every

04:58duel. And yeah, I just wanted to be part of this team.

05:03How much did the fans that night also make an impact on you?

05:09Yeah, of course. I know that the fans are unbelievable. I saw also the Parade after

05:17the Championship and at the game I didn't watch too much or listen too much to the fans

05:28because we were struggling on the pitch. But yeah, I'm really looking forward to playing the stadium

05:35for the fans. It will be exciting.

05:38Do you think that game, although it was disappointing for you on the night,

05:43did that have a part in your decision to come to Liverpool?

05:46For sure, inside me, I was feeling this quality of the team and also the size of the club.

06:02And yeah, for sure inside me, I was always thinking about this game and I could remember how it was to play here.

06:12You said you've seen the celebrations, the parades, the trophy lift. What did you think when you watched those?

06:22I was just happy for the players here to live it in the moment and also for the people here.

06:31I think it was well deserved because they played an unbelievable season. It was just crazy to see how

06:45many people came and how the atmosphere was. It was really good to see.

06:52Does that give you some motivation to try and be a part of that yourself?

06:56Yeah, for sure. I'm not coming to have fun here. I want also to achieve something and

07:04give the fans what they deserve. And of course, I want to keep going at this

07:13performance. So yeah, that sure gives motivation to achieve more.

07:19You mentioned you spoke to the head coach, Arne Slott. How was that conversation and are you looking

07:26forward to playing for him?

07:29Yeah, the conversations were always really good. I can remember the first time

07:38he already showed me some scenes and how we want to play and how I could fit in the team.

07:47And yeah, he was just telling me that I'm a player. He really want to have in his team and

07:57can bring the team a step forward. And yeah, I just could imagine good to be in the team and

08:07and to make it better. Of course, I have to make my performances every week. But I'm here for this.

08:19What quality do you hope to bring to Liverpool? What kind of player are you?

08:24Yeah, the people say I'm a creative player and I hope I can bring this creativity to the team and also the

08:36joy on the pitch. And yeah, I try to to make assist goals and run for the team to defend. And yeah,

08:44I hope I can just make the team one step better. Your good friend and former Leverkusen teammate Jeremy Fringpong

08:56joined us earlier in the summer. Have you spoken to him about moving to Liverpool? What did he tell you?

09:02I played, I think, three or four years with him. And yeah, he's he's a really good player and a really good

09:12person, a really funny guy. And yeah, good for every changing room and also on the pitch,

09:21big qualities to attack, to defend. And yeah, he was then the first one who signed with Liverpool.

09:30And of course, he wanted me to join as well. But I think I made my my decision by my own,

09:39but he was maybe a small part that convinced me in the end as well.

09:46Is it exciting for you to know you'll play with Jeremy again, but this time for Liverpool?

09:52Yeah, for sure. I think it's a really nice thing that we can play together again at the new club

10:00at maybe a bigger club and make the move together. And yeah, I'm really looking forward to

10:11stand on the pitch with him again. Is it true he's responsible for teaching you English?

10:17Yes, he was my neighbour in the changing room. He's sitting directly next to me and I had to speak

10:28English with him. So after I finished my school, I didn't speak really good English. He was teaching

10:36me a lot and making me speak more English and better English.

10:43You did mention earlier about coming to play in the Premier League.

10:48It's a big challenge for any player. How excited are you by that?

10:52Yeah, I'm really excited to have a really new adventure in front of me. But

11:00this was also a big point of my thoughts that I want to have something completely new to go out of

11:09the Bundesliga to join the Premier League. And yeah, I will see how I can perform there. I hope I can do my best.

11:22And yeah, I speak also with some players who who played there or are playing inside. And yeah, they say

11:31they said they told me that is perfect for me and every pitch is perfect and you can enjoy every game.

11:41So I'm really looking forward to to make my first game.

11:45What is it you're hoping to achieve here at Liverpool over the course of your contract?

11:50What would you like to do at this club?

11:54I would like to win everything every year. But first of all, we have to do our work.

12:03I have to make my work. And yeah, in the end, we want to be successful. But

12:09I'm sure there's next season and last season, they won the Premier League. And so my goal is for sure

12:18to win it again and also to come further in the Champions League. So I'm really ambitious.

12:29How much are you looking forward to coming back here in a few weeks time to begin training?

12:33Yeah, I'm really looking forward to it, to meet my new teammates, to be in another

12:43changing room on a different place than I was before. And yeah,

12:52for sure it will be fun meeting new people, playing different football. And yeah, I'm really excited.

13:00The Liverpool fans are excited that you're joining the club. They've been waiting for us to announce

13:07this transfer. What would you say to the Liverpool fans?

13:10What I would say? I don't know. I would say thank you for the support. Of course, I saw it also on

13:22Instagram or everywhere else that they're wanting me to come. And so I would say thank you for the

13:31support. And I'm really looking forward to play in front of them and achieve together big things.

13:40So yeah, I'm really happy to come. And sorry for the long wait.

13:52All right.

13:55Yeah, let's go.

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