“He’s grounded” - Leverkusen hero offers opinion on whether Florian Wirtz can win Ballon d’Or after slow start at Liverpool

Bayer Leverkusen icon Jens Nowotny has backed Florian Wirtz to succeed at Liverpool and believes the midfielder can win the Ballon d’Or one day despite his slow start to life at the Merseyside club.

It’s not the start Wirtz would have wanted at Liverpool, having registered only one assist in his first 10 matches for the club. The German broke the British transfer record for the most expensive midfielder after joining the Reds from Leverkusen in July.

Speaking to FourFourTwo, Nowotny reflected on the qualities that made Wirtz such a special player during his time at Leverkusen under Xabi Alonso. He then expressed confidence that the 22-year-old will eventually flourish in Arne Slot’s team.

“When Xabi Alonso took over at Leverkusen, he realised he could build the team’s playing style around Florian Wirtz,” Nowotny said. “They didn’t have to play only on the counter-attack, they could dominate possession and look for little openings, because Wirtz is very capable of finding pockets, collecting the ball in tight spaces and playing quick passes.

“Wirtz made the game a lot easier for everyone and was the most important player when Leverkusen secured their historic Double during 2023-24. Liverpool also play a style that suits him – speedy transitions, pacy runners in behind, but also the ability to keep the ball, push high and look for gaps. The best players can adapt to systems and Arne Slot now has one of the most intelligent young players in all of world football.

Wirtz was instrumental in Leverkusen’s 2023-24 campaign, helping the club win the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal titles. Nowotny urged patience, highlighting the qualities that would help him overcome the difficult start, and then suggested that his move to Liverpool could help him win the Ballon d’Or.

“It may take time for Wirtz to find his best form, but it also depends on how quickly those around him adapt to his speed of thought,” Nowotny continued. “He works extremely hard out of possession – he is a pressing machine and is very good at making interceptions. He is the best player I’ve seen in a long time. He’s grounded, he loves to play football and he wants to learn. I truly believe that he’s now at a club that can take his game to the next level. He can win the Ballon d’Or one day, and moving to Liverpool will help him on that journey.”

To date, Writz has been nominated twice for Ballon d’Or. He was a nominee in the most recent edition but finished 29th in the rankings.

Which Liverpool player has won the Ballon d’Or?

Liverpool have boasted some brilliant players over the years, but only one of them has ever won the Ballon d’Or. Michael Owen is the only player who have won the individual accolade wearing the Reds shirt.

The England legend won the Ballon d’Or in 2021, beating Real Madrid legend Raul and Bayern Munich icon Oliver Kahn. Since that time, only three Liverpool players have finished in the top three positions. They include Steven Gerrard (second position in 2005), Fernando Torres (third position in 2008), and Virgil van Dijk (second position in 2019).