Jürgen Klopp Just Hopes His Former Players All Have Fun at World Cup

Florian Wirtz’ first season at Liverpool hasn’t gone as anyone would have hoped or expected.

Last summer’s £107M blockbuster signing has shown flashes of brilliance but is yet to establish himself as a dominant player in the Premier League, and the Liverpool side he’s meant to be the key attacking piece in has yet to establish a clear identity as we head into May.

Things have been a little more positive for Wirtz at the international level, though, where he has continued to look impressive in Julian Naggelsmann’s Germany squad as they prepare for the 2026 World Cup, and plenty are hoping and expecting Wirtz to be a top player this summer. Key amongst that group being ex-Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp.

“I hope Flo will have a fantastic, fantastic World Cup,” Klopp said when asked about the 22-year-old attacking midfielder. “I think he has everything you need to be a standout player, but I don’t want to put any pressure on the boy. I really think he showed already how good he can be in a difficult season.”

While Wirtz’ role for Germany is an obvious point of interest for Klopp, who has regularly been rumoured to be the man likeliest to take over the national team when Naggelsmann moves on, he will also be paying attention to all of his former players—players who, unlike Wirtz, he managed—this summer.

“I hope all my players will have a great World Cup,” Klopp added. “I hope Andy Robertson and Alisson Becker can enjoy when they meet each other. Can you imagine that you play together for such a long time and Scotland qualifies for the first time in I don’t know since when and you meet each other in a game like that?

“I wish Virgil [van Dijk] will have a great tournament. I really wish for Mo [Salah] that he will have a great tournament. I honestly wish that Sadio [Mane] will have a great tournament. Macca [Alexis Mac Allister], if they win it again. It was so nice to see him with a medal around his neck.

“So many former players are part of the World Cup, which is really nice—and to see how time flies. Another former player will be a co-pundit of mine, Mats Hummels, so all of a sudden things change the perspective.”

Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com