Jeremie Frimpong Backs Florian Wirtz to Rediscover Best Form at Liverpool
Jeremie Frimpong has expressed his confidence in his Liverpool teammate Florian Wirtz, believing that the midfielder will overcome the intense scrutiny and pressure that comes with his £116 million transfer fee. Wirtz, who joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, has faced criticism for his performances, despite being one of the most highly-rated young players in Europe.
Wirtz ended his long wait for his first Liverpool goal in the 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers last month, but struggled to make an impact in the Reds’ 0-0 draw with Leeds United on Thursday. However, Frimpong, who also joined Liverpool in the summer after playing alongside Wirtz at Leverkusen, is convinced that his teammate will bounce back and prove his worth.
“That’s my boy,” Frimpong said of Wirtz. “When I heard he was coming [to Liverpool], it put a smile on my face because we basically started our Leverkusen career together and we’re starting our Liverpool career together as well. I know how good of a player Flo is. Like I said in plenty of interviews, if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have won a double with Leverkusen. We know how good he is and to see him doing it now, this is just the start. There’s plenty more to come from him.”
Frimpong also believes that Wirtz is capable of handling the pressure that comes with his hefty price tag. “I think Flo is the type of player that doesn’t care about these things [like] the price tag. He’s just happy to play football. For me personally, I think Flo takes pressure really well. He’s just a guy that loves the ball at his feet. When he plays, he’s just enjoying it. So, for me, I don’t think he cares about all this.”
Frimpong’s Own Start to Life at Liverpool
Frimpong’s own start to life at Liverpool has not been without its challenges. The defender, who has also played on the wing for Arne Slot’s side in recent weeks, sustained a hamstring injury on the opening day of the season and suffered a reoccurrence of the issue against Eintracht Frankfurt in October. However, having now returned to full fitness, the Netherlands international is hopeful that his devastating pace can prove a useful weapon for Liverpool as they look to climb the Premier League table.
“I’ve been injured for a long time,” he said. “I just want to play football. You could say that I missed playing, so, of course, I’m happy to be back on the pitch. But I want to win as well. It was really, really tough because, touch wood, I’m not really the type of guy that gets injured. So it was really difficult for me to deal with, but I had my family around me, so that was good.”
Frimpong also expressed his happiness with how he has settled in at Anfield, praising his teammates for their warm welcome. “I think with all of them, they’re really cool guys. They took me in really well when I first came, so it’s quite easy to bounce off each other’s energy, especially Hugo [Ekitike]. We’re bouncing off each other’s energy, so it’s really nice.”
Conclusion
In conclusion, Jeremie Frimpong has backed his teammate Florian Wirtz to rediscover his best form at Liverpool, despite the intense scrutiny and pressure that comes with his £116 million transfer fee. Frimpong believes that Wirtz is capable of handling the pressure and is confident that his teammate will prove his worth. With Frimpong himself returning to full fitness, Liverpool will be hoping that the duo can make a significant impact as they look to climb the Premier League table.
