Wirtz shares Alonso reaction to Liverpool transfer after Frimpong lesson

Florian Wirtz has followed in the footsteps of his erstwhile coach by signing for Liverpool. And he has revealed how Xabi Alonso reacted to the move. A little over a year ago, it was Alonso who looked destined for Anfield, with an emotional return mooted after the departure of Jurgen Klopp. But Liverpool went for Arne Slot instead, and it’s fair to say that decision has panned out well. Alonso, for his part, stayed another season at Bayer Leverkusen. But the Bundesliga side has faced a full-on raid this summer; it has lost its coach to another of his former clubs, Real Madrid, while both Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong have made their way to Liverpool. Of course, Liverpool has paid top dollar for Wirtz, so Bayer Leverkusen cannot exactly complain. The Reds have sent Jarell Quansah in the other direction for good measure, too. Meanwhile, the curious prospect of Alonso coaching Trent Alexander-Arnold beckons at Real Madrid. Two of Liverpool’s foremost pass masters of the last two decades, it will be interesting to see what comes of that partnership. But Reds fans won’t pay too much attention to that. Their focus will be on Wirtz, who has chosen Liverpool amid admiring glances from some of the world’s top clubs. And the move comes with Alonso’s blessing. The former Liverpool star was “really happy”” to see Wirtz make the transfer: “He was really happy that I am coming here,” Wirtz told the Liverpool media team. “He was telling me that he also came at 22 to Liverpool.” Xabi Alonso was part of a good Liverpool team. (Image: Ian Walton/Getty Images for adidas) That proved to be the start of a productive five-year stint, during which time Alonso lifted the Champions League trophy. There is lingering regret that he could not also add the Premier League, despite coming close. The hope for Wirtz is an even more trophy-laden spell. Liverpool will also hope that his stay exceeds five years, all being well, although that is the length of the initial contract. And Alonso might have inadvertently helped to prepare Wirtz for the move, with a helping hand from Frimpong. The pair used English extensively at Bayer Leverkusen. “Jeremie trained my English a bit,” Wirtz admitted. “He sat next to me in the changing room. “When I left school, I couldn’t speak English at all. [But] even Xabi was speaking English in the changing room.” This total lack of English out of school is a little unusual for a German player, although there’s no reason at all to expect the whole world to be made fluent in a foreign language. Nevertheless, the fact that Wirtz’s English has come on leaps and bounds will be useful for him at Liverpool. Plenty of players including Darwin Nunez have had struggles with a language barrier. But it’s clear from his initial media duties that Wirtz now speaks it at a high level. That should help him to hit the ground running — important given the amount of scrutiny that is bound to be on him. And if he needs any refresher lessons, he’s lucky that Frimpong has made the move alongside him. Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.