'I'd love to play with him': Steven Gerrard on 'world class' Liverpool star

Liverpool’s bounce-back performance at Sunderland on Wednesday night was headlined by Florian Wirtz, the 22-year-old German whose every touch carried menace and imagination. After the Reds’ subdued showing against Manchester City last weekend, manager Arne Slot demanded a bolder approach; his players responded with a display that blended attacking ambition with defensive composure and, crucially, kept alive the club’s push for a top-four finish on a night when both Chelsea and Manchester United slipped up elsewhere.

Operating as the central hub of Liverpool’s forward thrusts, Wirtz did not score, yet no one on the pitch attempted more shots, worked the goalkeeper more often, saw more of the ball or probed the final third with greater regularity. Speaking to TNT Sports afterwards, the midfielder struck a modest tone—“Every good game gives you confidence, when you get the ball and you can do special things, it is always good to have these games”—but the numbers told a story of outright dominance.

The exhibition did not go unnoticed by one of Anfield’s favourite sons. Steven Gerrard, assessing the contest for TNT Sports, lavished praise on the youngster: “His technical level, it is world class. He’s got the world at his feet and he’s so exciting to watch. In tight areas his first touch is immaculate, his awareness is superb. I always watch players and think to myself: would I like to play with him? As a player, I would have loved to play with him. He’s always in space, he’s so clever in terms of where he receives the ball.”

Gerrard’s endorsement underlines the rapid rise of a player who has become Liverpool’s primary creative force during a turbulent stretch. With the season entering its decisive phase, Slot will hope Wirtz can maintain that influence and propel the club back among the Premier League’s elite.