As silly as it is to say, the weight of a jersey can weigh a player down just as much as a price tag, with those of a Liverpool persuasion not exempt from placing importance on shirt numbers.
Steven Gerrard may have immortalised the number eight in the 21st Century, but it is the number seven that remains the jersey at Anfield, having been passed down by so many greats on Merseyside.
From the late great Kevin Keegan, to ‘King Kenny’ Dalglish to even Luis Suarez, some of the club’s brightest talents have shone while wearing the number seven.
It’s a lot for its current incumbent, Florian Wirtz, to live up to, with the £116m German having struggled to get going as yet for the Reds.
How Wirtz compares to recent Liverpool number 7’s
For some, a shirt number is an irrelevance, when a jersey has been worn by so many legends of the past, it does provide a sense of responsibility for those who follow.
In Wirtz’s case, the exorbitant price tag has perhaps been the bigger stick to beat him with, the 23-year-old having scored and assisted just eight Premier League goals in his debut campaign at the club.
That is well below the lofty standards he previously set in the Bundesliga back at Bayer Leverkusen, while also well below the record of the man he inherited the number seven from, in the form of Luis Diaz.
The Colombian is arguably appreciated more now that he’s left than he was when actually at Anfield, although his performance in the 2024/25 title win, in particular, speaks for itself, having scored and assisted 18 goals that year.
|
Diaz (24/25) vs Wirtz (25/26) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Diaz |
Stat (*per game) |
Wirtz |
|
36 |
Games |
33 |
|
13 |
Goals |
5 |
|
11 |
Big chances missed |
8 |
|
5 |
Assists |
3 |
|
8 |
Big chances created |
5 |
|
1.6 |
Key passes* |
1.8 |
|
86 |
Pass accuracy* |
85% |
|
1.5 |
Succ. dribbles* |
1.2 |
|
3.8 |
Total duels won* |
3.0 |
|
8.4 |
Ball lost* |
11.5 |
Diaz, now at Bayern Munich, had only taken the jersey himself in 2023, following the exit of cult hero, James Milner, the long-serving midfielder having been Liverpool’s Mr Consistent in a range of roles.
Milner wasn’t exactly the most glamorous name to have been given the honour, yet he was an integral part of the club’s rise under Jurgen Klopp, even filling in at left-back for a spell in those early years.
Not even the Englishman could come close to the genius of Suarez, however, the Uruguayan certainly the cream of the crop in terms of modern-day Liverpool number sevens.
Wirtz still has big shoes to fill in that sense, although if he continues to underwhelm, the Reds may have the perfect successor already lined up.
Liverpool sensation could be a future number 7 at Anfield
Wirtz’s form is a key talking point again heading into this extended international break, with club legend Jamie Carragher suggesting following the narrow win over Bournemouth that the playmaker shouldn’t be in the team on current form.
Andoni Iraola has persisted with him thus far, yet a return of just one assist from five Premier League starts this season doesn’t make for great reading, not least considering he has now had a year to bed in in English football.
There’s also the issue of Liverpool not exactly having a standout replacement in that number ten role, particularly having sent Harvey Elliott out on loan again, leaving Iraola light on options in that department.
Perhaps, should Wirtz’s woes continue, it may force Iraola’s end to look to the academy ranks again, having already handed minutes to the likes of Trey Nyoni, James McConnell and Lewis Koumas in recent weeks.
The hope will be for someone like Erik Farkas to be the next off the conveyor belt before too long, the 17-year-old having only recently penned professional terms on Merseyside last week.
Born in Hungary, the playmaker represents England at youth level and has been tipped to be a real superstar by those in the know, lauded by journalist Bence Bocsak as “one of the most unique profiles in English football“.
The teenager looks equally as comfortable as a number eight or as a number ten, suggesting that he could be a direct threat to Wirtz before too long.
Indeed, Farkas has certainly enjoyed a fine start to the new campaign, scoring in each of the last three U18 Premier League games, alongside registering a further assist.
Those last two outings, which came against Burnley and Derby, came with the youngster operating in that more advanced midfield berth, showcasing why Bocsak believes he is “an ideal No.10 profile”.
That is in terms of position rather than shirt number, of course, with Farkas the kind of standout, technical talent who really could be a future star of the first team, almost “like an archetypal Spanish midfielder” with the way in which he floats around the pitch, in the view of Bocsak.
He still needs to make that step up to the U21s, although his record in the U18s does make for strong reading, scoring and assisting 11 goals in 23 recorded games at that age group, as per Transfermarkt.
He’s a delight to watch, so often seen receiving the ball on the half-turn before driving at the opposition at will, while boasting the presence of mind and the composure to pick out those ahead of him.
While still only 17, Farkas – who wore the number seven on occasion in the youth ranks last term – is undoubtedly one to keep an eye on. Wirtz better watch out.
