Florian Richard Wirtz was born on May 3rd, 2003, in Pulheim, Germany.
A precociously gifted footballer, he was snapped up by local club Cologne aged just seven and developed through their youth system.
There he stayed for close to a decade, excelling at every level, until a controversial move to Bayer Leverkusen in 2020 saw him fast-tracked to their first-team, quickly becoming a Bundesliga star.
International recognition followed soon after, Wirtz representing the future of German football, and though serious injury has hampered his progress along the way, this swift rise to the top was capped in 2023/24 when he helped inspire Leverkusen to defy the betting odds and win their first ever league title.
Twelve months later, with Champions League experience now under his belt, not to mention too some seriously impressive performances for Germany at the Euros, Wirtz was ready to take the next steps to superstardom.
This summer he signed for Liverpool for a club record fee of £107m, not including add-ons.
It is the sixth most expensive transfer in the game’s history. Still just 22, in many respects his story is just beginning. Let’s though go back before we look forward.
Controversial Move
Wirtz joined Cologne’s youth academy as a young boy and soon became one of the most highly regarded youngsters in his country.
Aged 16 he won the Fritz Walter medal, an award given to the brightest prospect in Germany. That same year he inspired the ‘Billy Goats’ to an U17 Bundesliga title.
So far then, so straightforward. Having come through Cologne’s ranks, Wirtz was now on the cusp of becoming a homegrown star.
Only then, noting how Leverkusen, just half an hour’s drive down the road, habitually promoted their young players into the first-team set-up the player demanded a move.
This immediately attracted serious interest from Juventus and Bayern, but it was Bayer he wanted and Bayer he got.
What made the situation all-the-worse was that both clubs – along with fellow Rhineland side Borussia Monchengladbach – had previously struck a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ not to poach each other’s young talent.
Subsequently, Wirtz got booed every time he faced Cologne, the fans viewing his departure as a betrayal.
Unexpected Glory
Making his professional debut for Die Schwarzroten aged just 17 years and 15 days, Wirtz became the youngest ever player for the club. Two months later he became their youngest ever goal-scorer too, notching against Bayern Munich.
Indeed, it was all going swimmingly for the talented youngster until he tore his ACL – ironically against Cologne – in March 2022. It kept him out of action for nearly a year.
On his return, the midfielder was intent on making up for lost time, seeing out the 2022/23 campaign in style and starting the next season as if on a mission.
He completed a hat-trick of assists in a single game in the Europa League. In the Bundesliga, he was sensational week in, week out.
The same can be said of his team-mates too, and orchestrated by Xabi Alonso, looking cool and handsome in the technical area, Bayer went through the entire season undefeated.
After finishing runner-up in the league on five previous occasions, between 1997 and 2011, Bayer had finally secured a Bundesliga title.
Wirtz scored a hat-trick in the game that confirmed their famous feat.
Dream Move To Anfield
His final year in Germany saw Wirtz again rack up outstanding numbers, registering 23 goal involvements in the league for the second season running. He also scored six times in the Champions League.
At Euro 2024 meanwhile, he shone for Die Mannschaft, converting the tournament’s opening goal and notching a late equaliser against Spain in the quarter-finals.
Accompanying every achievement were transfer rumours that felt inevitable for a player who can subvert the football betting with a moment of genius. Links to Real Madrid persisted, with figures north of £120m being bandied about.
It was Liverpool though who ultimately swooped, bringing the playmaker to Merseyside and the Premier League for a colossal sum.
For the champions, Wirtz offers up the kind of creativity and energy that can retain titles. For the player the move was a fulfilment of his high ambitions. “I’m really excited to have a new adventure in front of me,” he said on signing for the Reds.
Family
The player’s parents, Hans-Joachim and Karin, jointly act as his agent while his dad is also chairman of SV Grun-Weiss Brauweiller, the local club where it all began for Florian.
His sister meanwhile is also a professional footballer, turning out for Werder Bremen. Football then runs deep through his family.
Which makes it amusing that the Bayer star has nine siblings all told. Play Karin at left-back and put Hans-Joachim in the dug-out and the Wirtz brood could have their very own team.
How Much Is Florian Wirtz Worth?
At Leverkusen, Wirtz was on a yearly salary of £3,952,000, a hefty sum topped up generously with bonuses.
For winning the league, each player is said to have received close to six figures.
On joining Liverpool he is now in receipt of £12,740,000 a year, a huge hike in wages that places him in a different financial bracket altogether.
It makes him the third highest paid player at the club, behind Mo Salah and Virgil Van Dijk.
Yet, besides driving the obligatory footballer supercar the youngster lives a fairly modest life, holidaying on German beaches with his family where he enjoys jet-skiing and boating.
He was 21 before he moved out of the family home, purchasing his first property.
The German’s only extravagance is a love for fashion but for everyday attire he is contracted to wear Adidas, a deal that nets £1.5m per year.
The midfielder’s net worth is estimated at £12m though expect that to rise steeply in seasons to come.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Alamy*
