Spain manager wishes ‘fantastic’ Liverpool player was Spanish – ‘I like the way he plays’

The manager of World Cup winners Spain lauded a ‘fantastic’ Liverpool player who he not-so-secretly wishes could represent Spain.

De La Fuente has worked wonders since taking charge of the Spanish national side in 2022. The 65-year-old guided Spain to victory on the 2024 European Championships, and followed that up by winning the World Cup in the summer just gone.

De La Fuente boasts an abundance of quality in every department of his squad, not least the attacking positions.

Indeed, the Spain boss can call upon the likes of Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, Ferran Torres, Dani Olmo and Mikel Oyarzabal, to name just five.

But when asked by German outlet BILD which German player he would love to have in his squad, De La Fuente named Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz.

“Florian Wirtz, he is fantastic,” declared De La Fuente (as cited by Goal). “Unfortunately he does not have a Spanish passport (laughs). I like the way he plays.”

Florian Wirtz appreciated everywhere except England

Wirtz was widely regarded as the best German player around at the time of his £116m (add-ons included) transfer from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool.

Bayern Munich pushed hard to sign the playmaker, though ultimately lost out to the Reds.

Wirtz remains a long-term target for Bayern if his fortunes at Anfield do not improve. And after a hit-and-miss first season in England, Wirtz is now coming in for stinging criticism in campaign number two.

Jamie Carragher has been amongst the most vocal critics, slamming the player for his sub-par performance against Bournemouth prior to the international break.

The Sky Sports pundit said: “That was one of the poorest I’ve ever seen him in a Liverpool shirt.”

He added: “I think going forward [Andoni] Iraola’s got a decision to make here. Wirtz would not be in my Liverpool team.

“Wirtz wouldn’t be in my Liverpool team. Manchester City at home [on 11 October], for me, he can’t be in the team.”