Slot discusses Wirtz progress after Liverpool victory over Real Madrid

Slot discusses Wirtz progress after Liverpool victory over Real Madrid

Liverpool boss Arne Slot says he'll continue to persist with Florian Wirtz.

Slot handed Wirtz a start in last night's Champions League win against Real Madrid.

He later said: "I've said it many times and I can say it one more time, but it is all up to everyone else to have a different opinion or the same opinion as I have. If you come from a different league and you have to play every two days and there are so many away games need to be played against certain styles of play, you need to adapt to that.

"That goes almost for everyone, let alone for a player that's 22. I think he's working incredibly hard to adapt as soon as he can and he has been so unlucky throughout his career here at Liverpool because even today he created so many chances for the team. But the goal we scored wasn't an assist or a goal from him.

"I wouldn't even say give him a bit of time because we gave him already that time to adapt. I played him many times for him to adapt to the Premier League, but I didn't play him every single game because that's not what I do with almost any player, but also not with players that either missed pre-season, are very young or come from a different league.

"They need a little bit of time to adapt if you have two days' rest after the (Eintracht) Frankfurt game and you have to go away to Brentford, that is different probably than having an away game in the Bundesliga or in the Eredivisie or in any other league in the world. This league is the best-played in the world, I think - all the 20 teams. So you can understand that so many great individuals and athletes are playing here, mainly from 25 to 30 and at some teams you also see 22-year-olds."