Nick Woltemade has come to the defence of Liverpool player Florian Wirtz amid a wave of criticism for his Premier League performances.
The German playmaker has been panned by some commentators for not meeting expectations since his £100 million move, which could rise to £116m, from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.
Wirtz is yet to score in the English top flight and none of his 16 key passes have resulted in a goal for Liverpool, though he did create two goals in last month’s 5-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Champions League.
Nick Woltemade defends Liverpool star Florian Wirtz
Despite a lack of end product, Woltemade believes his German colleague has been playing better than he has been given credit for.
“For every player, adjusting isn’t easy. But he’s doing very well,” the Newcastle United striker told RTL/n-tv/sport.de.
“On paper, you might not see the goals, but if you compare my games with his, he’s much more involved in play.
“I’ve probably been in the right spot three or four times, received the ball and scored – but he’s very active in the game, gets lots of touches and makes good plays.”
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Woltemade made his own move from the Bundesliga to the Premier League this past summer, joining Newcastle from Stuttgart for £69m. The 23-year-old has had a much more enjoyable year, winning the German Cup with his previous club and reaching the U21 European Championship final with Germany. He has also scored eight goals for club and country this season.
“It’s been a very crazy year. I’ve experienced so much – moments I never could have imagined before,” he said.
“It’s sometimes hard to grasp. A year like this isn’t something you take for granted. I’m very grateful for it and want to keep working for such amazing moments.”
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