Jamie Carragher has dramatically reversed his earlier criticism of Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz, now insisting the German international is a "special player" worthy of comparison with Premier League legends. This represents a complete turnaround from the Sky Sports pundit's October comments, where he expressed doubts about Wirtz's ability to adapt to English football.
From Slow Start to Stellar Form
Wirtz's £116million summer move from Bayer Leverkusen initially appeared challenging, with the midfielder failing to register a goal or assist in the Premier League until early December. However, his fortunes have transformed remarkably in recent weeks, with four goals in his last seven league matches plus a Champions League strike against Qarabag last week.
Carragher had previously questioned whether Wirtz could be considered a "great" signing, pointing to Liverpool's history of foreign players who "hit the ground running" immediately. In October, he specifically referenced Sami Hyypiä, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, Luis Suárez, and Didi Hamann as examples of successful imports who adapted quickly.
High Praise and Premier League Comparisons
Speaking on Sky Sports this week, Carragher offered glowing praise for Wirtz's development, even comparing him to two of the Premier League's most celebrated midfield talents. "Wirtz is getting better all the time," Carragher declared. "Eventually, the mantle has to be passed on, and there is no doubt the lad has real quality."
The former Liverpool defender made particularly bold comparisons, suggesting: "The Premier League has lost Kevin De Bruyne, [but] we have gained Wirtz. We are talking about special players coming into our league." He elaborated further, noting: "When I watch Wirtz, I think he could be lovely on the eye like David Silva, but he has almost a bit of both."
Carragher also referenced Gary Neville's earlier criticism of Wirtz looking "like a boy" during Manchester City's visit to Anfield, suggesting the midfielder now has a perfect opportunity to prove his detractors wrong in the upcoming rematch.
Ekitike Receives Even Higher Praise
Wirtz wasn't the only Liverpool signing to receive Carragher's commendation. The pundit made the extraordinary claim that summer acquisition Hugo Ekitike is already a "better player" than Liverpool icon Fernando Torres, who scored 81 goals in 142 appearances for the club between 2007 and 2011.
Ekitike has enjoyed a spectacular start to his Liverpool career since his £79million move from Eintracht Frankfurt, scoring 15 goals this season while making the number nine shirt his own during Alexander Isak's injury absence. His recent double in Liverpool's 4-1 victory over Newcastle showcased his developing partnership with Wirtz, offering hope for the future as Arne Slot's side battles for Champions League qualification.
"I think Ekitike is a better player than Torres," Carragher stated unequivocally. "He may not get as many goals, but Torres was made by [Steven] Gerrard at Liverpool. Ekitike won't rely on Wirtz as much, but, if the combination keeps going, he could get the goals Torres got."
Carragher emphasized the importance of these new signings for Liverpool's future, noting: "It's exciting because you are looking to the future of what the team can be like. Eventually it has to move on from [Mohamed] Salah and [Virgil] van Dijk." He added that watching the new signings perform at their current level "gives you hope" for what Liverpool can achieve under Slot's management.
