![\"Marko](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0_Chelsea-v-Wolverhampton-Wanderers-Capital-One-Cup-Third-Round.jpg\")
Florian Wirtz surprisingly grew up idolising ex-Chelsea star Marko Marin, over the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi(Image: Julian Finney)<\/p>\nIncoming Liverpool star Florian Wirtz will have a lot of pressure to succeed after arriving as the most expensive Premier League player for \u00a3116.5m and his former ex-team-mates have been discussing when he burst onto the sceneFlorian Wirtz surprisingly grew up idolising ex-Chelsea star Marko Marin, over the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi(Image: Julian Finney)<\/p>\n
Florian Wirtz<\/a> will be hoping to have a bigger impact on the Premier League<\/a> in Liverpool<\/a> red than his boyhood hero Marko Marin<\/a> did wearing Chelsea<\/a> blue.<\/p>\n The champions’ British record signing grew up idolising Marin when he first started showing his potential playing alongside older boys at Grun-Weiss Brauweiler, the junior club on the outskirts of Cologne where his dad Hans-Joachim acts as both the chairman and his youngest son\u2019s agent.<\/p>\n When the Bosnia-born German international moved to Stamford Bridge from Werder Bremen in the summer of 2012 in a deal worth \u00a36.5million, big things were expected of him.<\/p>\n But he played just two Premier League starts for the Londoners and was loaned out to Sevilla, Fiorentina, Anderlecht and Trabzonspor before joining Olympiakos three years later.<\/p>\n Marin was a hugely-talented attacking midfielder playing his best football with Bremen when Bundesliga rivals FC Koln launched a charm offensive to sign the precocious seven-year-old Wirtz in 2010.<\/p>\n READ MORE: 5 options for Liverpool’s next transfer AFTER Florian Wirtz including Arsenal hijack<\/a>READ MORE: Inside Florian Wirtz transfer and how Liverpool blew away rivals to seal \u00a3116m deal<\/a><\/p>\n Club officials wanted to present him with a shirt bearing the name of his favourite player – and were stunned when the youngster name-checked Marin rather than Cristiano Ronaldo<\/a>, Lionel Messi<\/a> or German star Mesut Ozil<\/a>. He still treasures the jersey.<\/p>\n Liverpool have agreed a deal with Bayer Leverkusen<\/a> that will see them pay \u00a3100million plus another \u00a316million in add-ons to bring Wirtz to Anfield in a bid to improve a team that cruised to the title under Arne Slot<\/a> in the Dutchman\u2019s first season.<\/p>\n The 22-year-old is a team player who isn\u2019t afraid to push against the grain. Former team-mates at Brauweiler describe a personality who was always ready to sacrifice himself for the good of the collective.<\/p>\n Benjamin Schwarz recalled: “Flo always gave his best for the team and always encouraged the other boys. Even at a young age that was very noticeable. He also always passed the ball to his team-mates even though he knew he was so much better than the rest of us.”<\/p>\n Bilal Ksiouar added: “When you played in the same team as Flo it was like you had one or two players more than the opposition. Even against older boys and better teams, he always stood out.”<\/p>\n Yet Wirtz caused a storm in the local area when he left Koln after 10 years in January 2020 to join Bayer Leverkusen. The two rivals had struck a pact not to poach each other\u2019s youth players, but Leverkusen felt that the outstanding promise being shown by the 16-year-old was something they just couldn\u2019t ignore.<\/p>\n Rudi Voller, the legendary German striker who won the World Cup in 1990, was Leverkusen\u2019s technical director. He explained: “Failing to sign Wirtz at that age would have been negligent – and he was going to leave them when his contract expired that summer anyway.”<\/p>\n Wirtz continued his studies at his new club, getting top marks in advanced maths, advanced geography, German and biology. But within five months of moving to Leverkusen, at the age of just 17 years and 15 days, he made his Bundesliga debut against Werder Bremen and in doing so overtook Kai Havertz as the club\u2019s youngest-ever player.<\/p>\n Even then he had a talent for producing the unexpected both on and off the pitch. Fans were shocked when he admitted that he always opted to play as rivals Bayern Munich<\/a> during games of FIFA.<\/p>\n And when asked who he admired most amongst his contemporaries, he named Joao Felix, the Portuguese striker who is now famous for being another big-money Chelsea misfit. “Joao Felix is a similar type of player to me,” said Wirtz. “He\u2019s very creative and I learn a lot from him.”<\/p>\n Yet it was that same bloody-minded attitude that drove Wirtz into returning to fitness just 272 days after rupturing a cruciate ligament against old foes Koln in 2022, an injury that would force him to miss the World Cup.<\/p>\n Club medics were constantly urging the midfielder to slow down, but Wirtz would turn up for rehabilitation sessions even when ordered to have a day off. With an attitude like that, he will fit straight in at Anfield.<\/p>\n Join our new WhatsApp community<\/a>and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.<\/a><\/p>\n Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package<\/p>\n This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more<\/a> \u00a343<\/p>\n \u00a335<\/p>\n Sky<\/p>\n![\"Florian](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0_GettyImages-2158546780.jpg\")
Wirtz has been described by old team-mates as a selfless player who puts others first(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"Florian](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0_GettyImages-2214549816.jpg\")
Wirtz joined Leverkusen after a bitter dispute with Koln, but ex-chief Rudi Voller says it would have been “negligent” not to sign him(Image: Pau Barrena\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"Florian](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0_GettyImages-2197365256.jpg\")
Wirtz’s fierce determination to improve and recover in between games should stand him in good stead at Liverpool<\/p>\n![\"Content](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/1745569994_974_0_Sky-Factbox.jpg\")
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