‘He’s already much better than Marko Marin’: Florian Wirtz receives huge praise from his great idol
Liverpool FC's Germany international Florian Wirtz has received praise he will savour.
"He is simply an exceptional player," former Germany international Marko Marin told RTL/Sky Sport about Wirtz after Germany's 3-1 win in their Nations League match in Serbia on Friday. "He will remain very important for the German national team in the coming years," Marin added. He said the 23-year-old is also getting "better and better" at Liverpool.
In a 2024 interview with Spiegel, Wirtz called Marin, who played for Borussia Mönchengladbach and Werder Bremen, his "great idol". "I had a Werder shirt with his name on the back. I was fascinated by his dribbling and his goal threat. In that respect, I could identify with him," Wirtz explained at the time.
Marko Marin was Florian Wirtz's great idol: "It's nice to hear that"
"I've often been asked about it. It's nice to hear that – especially from a player like him, playing at this level," Marin said of Wirtz's admiration for his game. The 37-year-old played 16 times for Germany between 2008 and 2010, scoring one goal. He was part of Germany's squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, making two brief appearances.
Marin left the Bundesliga for Chelsea FC in 2012, but could not establish himself there. He then played in Spain, Italy, Belgium, Turkey, Greece, Serbia, Saudi Arabia and Hungary before ending his career in 2022.
"I think he is already much better than Marko Marin," the former midfielder said of Wirtz. "He has probably tried to pick up a few things. He is an instinctive footballer, a dribbler and sensational between the lines. He is already doing that brilliantly."
Wirtz put head coach Jürgen Klopp's side 2-0 up with an elegant move in Belgrade on Friday evening. It was the Liverpool player's 13th goal in his 49th international appearance.
Since April 2023, Marin has been technical director at Serbian top club Red Star Belgrade. Asked whether he could take on a sporting role at a Bundesliga club in the future, Marin said: "Not for now. I'm happy here." He added: "The Bundesliga is always interesting and one of the best leagues in Europe. Of course that's interesting, but at the moment I'm happy here and still have a lot I want to do."
