Socceroo Jackson Irvine sidelined with football problem
Don't miss out on the headlines from Football. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Socceroos star Jackson Irvine has a 'micro-fracture' in his foot in concerning injury news ahead of Australia's FIFA World Cup qualifiers in June against Japan and Saudi Arabia.
Irvine missed his German club St Pauli's 1-1 draw on Monday (AEST) with Bayer Leverkusen because of a stress reaction in his left foot.
St Pauli manager Alexander Blessin seemed hopeful, rather than confident, that club captain Irvine would return before the end of the Bundesliga season on May 17.
'With Jacko, we're not ready to write him off for the entire season – it's a micro-fracture,' Blessin said.
Socceroos coach Tony Popovic will also be sweating on the fitness of 32-year-old Irvine – the cornerstone of Australia's midfield – ahead of the national team's clash with Japan in Perth on June 5 and the game against Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on June 11 (AEST).
The Socceroos are in a strong position to seal qualification to next year's World Cup, but the loss of Irvine would be a blow.
In better news for the Socceroos, goalkeeper Joe Gauci returned from a hip injury in his English League One club Barnsley's 1-1 weekend draw with Peterborough.
Gauci, who is on loan to Barnsley from Premier League club Aston Villa, made his first appearance since February 22.
'Been a while, happy to be back,' Gauci posted on social meeting after his return.
Gauci missed the Socceroos' wins over Indonesia and China last month, with national captain Mat Ryan starting between the posts in both matches.
Ryan's French club Lens beat Brest 3-1 on Monday to move to eighth place on the Ligue One ladder.
Fellow gloveman Paul Izzo, who remains uncapped despite being a member of recent Socceroos squads, was part of the Randers team lost 4-3 on Tuesday morning (AEST) to Brondby in a Danish Superliga playoff.
Socceroos striker Mohamed Toure also started for Randers, who again meet Brondby on Saturday.
Originally published as 'Micro-fracture' sidelines Socceroos midfielder Jackson Irvine
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Zverev beats tummy bug, sets up Medvedev clash in Halle
Alexander Zverev's quest for a first grass-court title has taken an unexpected turn at the Halle Open when the German second seed was forced to sprint from court to vomit mid-match before returning to defeat Italy's Flavio Cobolli 6-4 7-6 (10-8). Second seed Zverev started Friday's quarter-final on the front foot by breaking in the first game but as he was serving in the second, he requested a toilet break to throw up and bolted off down the tunnel. Once he returned, Zverev struggled with the intensity at first and clearly looked unwell, bending over in exhaustion after points and gasping for breath after a marathon rally. "I felt fine before the match. Then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, I felt really, really bad. I felt ill, went to throw up and then 15 minutes later, I felt OK again," Zverev said. "I don't know what it was, I've never experienced that before. I hope I'll be fine in the next couple of hours when the adrenaline settles. After that, I think it was a pretty good match." The semi-final will pit Zverev against Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev, a familiar foe who holds a 12-7 head-to-head advantage over him and has won their last three meetings. "I think he's the guy that I played the most in my career. I'm looking forward to it," Zverev added. "A lot of things happened in the last 18 months. He's one of my toughest opponents in my career. It's going to be a great match and I'm really looking forward to facing him." Medvedev moved into the semi-finals with a 6-4 6-3 victory over American Alex Michelsen despite suffering a nosebleed in the second set which forced the 2021 Halle runner-up to take a medical timeout. However, the Russian served well to deny his opponent a single break point opportunity and wrapped up the contest in 85 minutes as he reached the last four without dropping a set. The other semi-final will feature 2023 champion Alexander Bublik, who knocked out last year's winner Jannik Sinner in the previous round, taking on eighth seed Karen Khachanov, who beat Tomas Etcheverry 6-3 6-2. Bublik fired 37 winners in his 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 victory over Tomas Machac. Alexander Zverev's quest for a first grass-court title has taken an unexpected turn at the Halle Open when the German second seed was forced to sprint from court to vomit mid-match before returning to defeat Italy's Flavio Cobolli 6-4 7-6 (10-8). Second seed Zverev started Friday's quarter-final on the front foot by breaking in the first game but as he was serving in the second, he requested a toilet break to throw up and bolted off down the tunnel. Once he returned, Zverev struggled with the intensity at first and clearly looked unwell, bending over in exhaustion after points and gasping for breath after a marathon rally. "I felt fine before the match. Then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, I felt really, really bad. I felt ill, went to throw up and then 15 minutes later, I felt OK again," Zverev said. "I don't know what it was, I've never experienced that before. I hope I'll be fine in the next couple of hours when the adrenaline settles. After that, I think it was a pretty good match." The semi-final will pit Zverev against Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev, a familiar foe who holds a 12-7 head-to-head advantage over him and has won their last three meetings. "I think he's the guy that I played the most in my career. I'm looking forward to it," Zverev added. "A lot of things happened in the last 18 months. He's one of my toughest opponents in my career. It's going to be a great match and I'm really looking forward to facing him." Medvedev moved into the semi-finals with a 6-4 6-3 victory over American Alex Michelsen despite suffering a nosebleed in the second set which forced the 2021 Halle runner-up to take a medical timeout. However, the Russian served well to deny his opponent a single break point opportunity and wrapped up the contest in 85 minutes as he reached the last four without dropping a set. The other semi-final will feature 2023 champion Alexander Bublik, who knocked out last year's winner Jannik Sinner in the previous round, taking on eighth seed Karen Khachanov, who beat Tomas Etcheverry 6-3 6-2. Bublik fired 37 winners in his 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 victory over Tomas Machac. Alexander Zverev's quest for a first grass-court title has taken an unexpected turn at the Halle Open when the German second seed was forced to sprint from court to vomit mid-match before returning to defeat Italy's Flavio Cobolli 6-4 7-6 (10-8). Second seed Zverev started Friday's quarter-final on the front foot by breaking in the first game but as he was serving in the second, he requested a toilet break to throw up and bolted off down the tunnel. Once he returned, Zverev struggled with the intensity at first and clearly looked unwell, bending over in exhaustion after points and gasping for breath after a marathon rally. "I felt fine before the match. Then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, I felt really, really bad. I felt ill, went to throw up and then 15 minutes later, I felt OK again," Zverev said. "I don't know what it was, I've never experienced that before. I hope I'll be fine in the next couple of hours when the adrenaline settles. After that, I think it was a pretty good match." The semi-final will pit Zverev against Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev, a familiar foe who holds a 12-7 head-to-head advantage over him and has won their last three meetings. "I think he's the guy that I played the most in my career. I'm looking forward to it," Zverev added. "A lot of things happened in the last 18 months. He's one of my toughest opponents in my career. It's going to be a great match and I'm really looking forward to facing him." Medvedev moved into the semi-finals with a 6-4 6-3 victory over American Alex Michelsen despite suffering a nosebleed in the second set which forced the 2021 Halle runner-up to take a medical timeout. However, the Russian served well to deny his opponent a single break point opportunity and wrapped up the contest in 85 minutes as he reached the last four without dropping a set. The other semi-final will feature 2023 champion Alexander Bublik, who knocked out last year's winner Jannik Sinner in the previous round, taking on eighth seed Karen Khachanov, who beat Tomas Etcheverry 6-3 6-2. Bublik fired 37 winners in his 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 victory over Tomas Machac. Alexander Zverev's quest for a first grass-court title has taken an unexpected turn at the Halle Open when the German second seed was forced to sprint from court to vomit mid-match before returning to defeat Italy's Flavio Cobolli 6-4 7-6 (10-8). Second seed Zverev started Friday's quarter-final on the front foot by breaking in the first game but as he was serving in the second, he requested a toilet break to throw up and bolted off down the tunnel. Once he returned, Zverev struggled with the intensity at first and clearly looked unwell, bending over in exhaustion after points and gasping for breath after a marathon rally. "I felt fine before the match. Then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, I felt really, really bad. I felt ill, went to throw up and then 15 minutes later, I felt OK again," Zverev said. "I don't know what it was, I've never experienced that before. I hope I'll be fine in the next couple of hours when the adrenaline settles. After that, I think it was a pretty good match." The semi-final will pit Zverev against Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev, a familiar foe who holds a 12-7 head-to-head advantage over him and has won their last three meetings. "I think he's the guy that I played the most in my career. I'm looking forward to it," Zverev added. "A lot of things happened in the last 18 months. He's one of my toughest opponents in my career. It's going to be a great match and I'm really looking forward to facing him." Medvedev moved into the semi-finals with a 6-4 6-3 victory over American Alex Michelsen despite suffering a nosebleed in the second set which forced the 2021 Halle runner-up to take a medical timeout. However, the Russian served well to deny his opponent a single break point opportunity and wrapped up the contest in 85 minutes as he reached the last four without dropping a set. The other semi-final will feature 2023 champion Alexander Bublik, who knocked out last year's winner Jannik Sinner in the previous round, taking on eighth seed Karen Khachanov, who beat Tomas Etcheverry 6-3 6-2. Bublik fired 37 winners in his 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 victory over Tomas Machac.
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Fox fired up for canoe world titles after rough results
There's been some rough water for Jessica Fox since her Paris Olympics medal blitz, but the canoe great feels her title defence is on track 100 days out from the world championships in Penrith. Fox will defend her kayak crown on her home course, with the competition getting under way on September 29, but despite winning gold in the event in Paris, her results this year haven't been at her usual standard. The 31-year-old, who owns six Olympic medals, including three gold, has missed the K1 final at both of the opening World Cup events in Europe. In the opening race in La Seu in Spain, Fox finished 48th in a field of 50 after incurring a 50-second penalty for missing a gate. She also missed the K1 final at the second World Cup event in Pau in France, but at both she bounced back to win gold in the C1 races. "It's funny, people are always almost shocked when you don't qualify for the final, or when you don't win, as when you've done it so many times it's just expected, but actually it's hard every time," Fox said from Prague, ahead of another World Cup later this month. "Even the best athletes make mistakes, so it was disappointing, I was upset, I had a good cry about it, and then I just got back on the horse the next day, got back in my boat and had another crack. "I'm fine-tuning things and I'm still in a training and building phase at the moment before the worlds, and I'm taking in as much info as I can." She said the gates hung quite low in Spain, and she was too cautious in her approach. But after taking time out to savour her Olympic success, also winning gold in the C1 while her sister Noemie won the kayak cross, she felt she was building nicely for the world championships. Fox admitted the pressure of defending her title on her home course could be on par with the Olympics. "Paris was magical in every way and it went perfectly, and was a very successful campaign, and fantastic to perform in that way,'' she said. "Now looking forward, obviously you're always going to have that expectation and target on your back, you're the reigning Olympic champion, reigning world champion in the kayak, and that hovers there, like a cloud, if you let it. "Everyone's hungry for that race, and just because you're world number one or just because you're the reigning champion doesn't mean it's different. "Coming into a world championship at home is going to feel very much like an Olympics in terms of the pressure and the expectation, but I think we'll be ready. "I love our home course and that's going to serve me, and I'm going to try and make it an advantage." While she's set to compete in the next Olympics in Los Angeles, Fox is also looking beyond her paddling career and has partnered with charity organisation High Impact Athletes, with sponsors pledging an amount for each "clean" gate on the course. "It's about looking beyond sport and going, how else can I have an impact, and how do I keep this interesting and exciting, and what's my legacy going to be?,'' she said. "Each race, each run, each gate that I take, I'm pledging my support for this charity, which provides safe, clean drinking water for people around the world, and bringing people on board with me." There's been some rough water for Jessica Fox since her Paris Olympics medal blitz, but the canoe great feels her title defence is on track 100 days out from the world championships in Penrith. Fox will defend her kayak crown on her home course, with the competition getting under way on September 29, but despite winning gold in the event in Paris, her results this year haven't been at her usual standard. The 31-year-old, who owns six Olympic medals, including three gold, has missed the K1 final at both of the opening World Cup events in Europe. In the opening race in La Seu in Spain, Fox finished 48th in a field of 50 after incurring a 50-second penalty for missing a gate. She also missed the K1 final at the second World Cup event in Pau in France, but at both she bounced back to win gold in the C1 races. "It's funny, people are always almost shocked when you don't qualify for the final, or when you don't win, as when you've done it so many times it's just expected, but actually it's hard every time," Fox said from Prague, ahead of another World Cup later this month. "Even the best athletes make mistakes, so it was disappointing, I was upset, I had a good cry about it, and then I just got back on the horse the next day, got back in my boat and had another crack. "I'm fine-tuning things and I'm still in a training and building phase at the moment before the worlds, and I'm taking in as much info as I can." She said the gates hung quite low in Spain, and she was too cautious in her approach. But after taking time out to savour her Olympic success, also winning gold in the C1 while her sister Noemie won the kayak cross, she felt she was building nicely for the world championships. Fox admitted the pressure of defending her title on her home course could be on par with the Olympics. "Paris was magical in every way and it went perfectly, and was a very successful campaign, and fantastic to perform in that way,'' she said. "Now looking forward, obviously you're always going to have that expectation and target on your back, you're the reigning Olympic champion, reigning world champion in the kayak, and that hovers there, like a cloud, if you let it. "Everyone's hungry for that race, and just because you're world number one or just because you're the reigning champion doesn't mean it's different. "Coming into a world championship at home is going to feel very much like an Olympics in terms of the pressure and the expectation, but I think we'll be ready. "I love our home course and that's going to serve me, and I'm going to try and make it an advantage." While she's set to compete in the next Olympics in Los Angeles, Fox is also looking beyond her paddling career and has partnered with charity organisation High Impact Athletes, with sponsors pledging an amount for each "clean" gate on the course. "It's about looking beyond sport and going, how else can I have an impact, and how do I keep this interesting and exciting, and what's my legacy going to be?,'' she said. "Each race, each run, each gate that I take, I'm pledging my support for this charity, which provides safe, clean drinking water for people around the world, and bringing people on board with me." There's been some rough water for Jessica Fox since her Paris Olympics medal blitz, but the canoe great feels her title defence is on track 100 days out from the world championships in Penrith. Fox will defend her kayak crown on her home course, with the competition getting under way on September 29, but despite winning gold in the event in Paris, her results this year haven't been at her usual standard. The 31-year-old, who owns six Olympic medals, including three gold, has missed the K1 final at both of the opening World Cup events in Europe. In the opening race in La Seu in Spain, Fox finished 48th in a field of 50 after incurring a 50-second penalty for missing a gate. She also missed the K1 final at the second World Cup event in Pau in France, but at both she bounced back to win gold in the C1 races. "It's funny, people are always almost shocked when you don't qualify for the final, or when you don't win, as when you've done it so many times it's just expected, but actually it's hard every time," Fox said from Prague, ahead of another World Cup later this month. "Even the best athletes make mistakes, so it was disappointing, I was upset, I had a good cry about it, and then I just got back on the horse the next day, got back in my boat and had another crack. "I'm fine-tuning things and I'm still in a training and building phase at the moment before the worlds, and I'm taking in as much info as I can." She said the gates hung quite low in Spain, and she was too cautious in her approach. But after taking time out to savour her Olympic success, also winning gold in the C1 while her sister Noemie won the kayak cross, she felt she was building nicely for the world championships. Fox admitted the pressure of defending her title on her home course could be on par with the Olympics. "Paris was magical in every way and it went perfectly, and was a very successful campaign, and fantastic to perform in that way,'' she said. "Now looking forward, obviously you're always going to have that expectation and target on your back, you're the reigning Olympic champion, reigning world champion in the kayak, and that hovers there, like a cloud, if you let it. "Everyone's hungry for that race, and just because you're world number one or just because you're the reigning champion doesn't mean it's different. "Coming into a world championship at home is going to feel very much like an Olympics in terms of the pressure and the expectation, but I think we'll be ready. "I love our home course and that's going to serve me, and I'm going to try and make it an advantage." While she's set to compete in the next Olympics in Los Angeles, Fox is also looking beyond her paddling career and has partnered with charity organisation High Impact Athletes, with sponsors pledging an amount for each "clean" gate on the course. "It's about looking beyond sport and going, how else can I have an impact, and how do I keep this interesting and exciting, and what's my legacy going to be?,'' she said. "Each race, each run, each gate that I take, I'm pledging my support for this charity, which provides safe, clean drinking water for people around the world, and bringing people on board with me." There's been some rough water for Jessica Fox since her Paris Olympics medal blitz, but the canoe great feels her title defence is on track 100 days out from the world championships in Penrith. Fox will defend her kayak crown on her home course, with the competition getting under way on September 29, but despite winning gold in the event in Paris, her results this year haven't been at her usual standard. The 31-year-old, who owns six Olympic medals, including three gold, has missed the K1 final at both of the opening World Cup events in Europe. In the opening race in La Seu in Spain, Fox finished 48th in a field of 50 after incurring a 50-second penalty for missing a gate. She also missed the K1 final at the second World Cup event in Pau in France, but at both she bounced back to win gold in the C1 races. "It's funny, people are always almost shocked when you don't qualify for the final, or when you don't win, as when you've done it so many times it's just expected, but actually it's hard every time," Fox said from Prague, ahead of another World Cup later this month. "Even the best athletes make mistakes, so it was disappointing, I was upset, I had a good cry about it, and then I just got back on the horse the next day, got back in my boat and had another crack. "I'm fine-tuning things and I'm still in a training and building phase at the moment before the worlds, and I'm taking in as much info as I can." She said the gates hung quite low in Spain, and she was too cautious in her approach. But after taking time out to savour her Olympic success, also winning gold in the C1 while her sister Noemie won the kayak cross, she felt she was building nicely for the world championships. Fox admitted the pressure of defending her title on her home course could be on par with the Olympics. "Paris was magical in every way and it went perfectly, and was a very successful campaign, and fantastic to perform in that way,'' she said. "Now looking forward, obviously you're always going to have that expectation and target on your back, you're the reigning Olympic champion, reigning world champion in the kayak, and that hovers there, like a cloud, if you let it. "Everyone's hungry for that race, and just because you're world number one or just because you're the reigning champion doesn't mean it's different. "Coming into a world championship at home is going to feel very much like an Olympics in terms of the pressure and the expectation, but I think we'll be ready. "I love our home course and that's going to serve me, and I'm going to try and make it an advantage." While she's set to compete in the next Olympics in Los Angeles, Fox is also looking beyond her paddling career and has partnered with charity organisation High Impact Athletes, with sponsors pledging an amount for each "clean" gate on the course. "It's about looking beyond sport and going, how else can I have an impact, and how do I keep this interesting and exciting, and what's my legacy going to be?,'' she said. "Each race, each run, each gate that I take, I'm pledging my support for this charity, which provides safe, clean drinking water for people around the world, and bringing people on board with me."
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Liverpool make German star Wirtz their record signing
Liverpool have signed Germany's Florian Wirtz from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen as the English champions smashed their transfer record to seal a deal for the attacking midfielder. Leverkusen will receive a guaranteed amount of Stg 100 million ($A209 million) and a further maximum of Stg 16 million ($A33 million) in potential bonuses. That makes the 22-year-old Liverpool's most-expensive signing ever, ahead of Netherlands centre-back and captain Virgil van Dijk who joined for Stg 75 million ($A156 million) in 2017. Wirtz, who signed a five-year contract, also becomes the fifth 100 million pound-plus signing in Premier League history, joining Chelsea midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, Arsenal's Declan Rice and Manchester City winger Jack Grealish. "I feel very happy and very proud. Finally it's done and I was waiting for a long time – finally it's done and I am really happy," Wirtz said in a statement on Friday. "I'm really excited to have a new adventure in front of me. This was also a big point of my thoughts: that I want to have something completely new, to go out of the Bundesliga and to join the Premier League." With two years left on his Leverkusen contract, Wirtz was also heavily linked with a move to German champions Bayern Munich and Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, who were looking to replace Kevin De Bruyne after the Belgian playmaker's exit. Wirtz was instrumental at Leverkusen, leading them to an undefeated domestic league and Cup double in the 2023-24 season while they went two league seasons without an away defeat. The German bagged 57 goals and provided 65 assists in 197 appearances for Leverkusen, having joined the club from Cologne in 2020. He scored 16 goals, with 15 assists, in 45 matches last season as Leverkusen finished second to Bayern. Capped 31 times by his country since his debut in 2021, Wirtz is the only player to register 10 or more goals and assists in the last two Bundesliga seasons. His signing is a statement of intent from Liverpool as they look to build on their success under Slot, the first Dutch manager to win the Premier League and the sixth coach to win the title in their first season. "I would like to win everything every year! First of all, we have to do our work, I have to make my work," Wirtz added. He becomes Liverpool's second addition of the transfer window after they signed Dutch right back Jeremie Frimpong, also from Leverkusen. Liverpool have signed Germany's Florian Wirtz from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen as the English champions smashed their transfer record to seal a deal for the attacking midfielder. Leverkusen will receive a guaranteed amount of Stg 100 million ($A209 million) and a further maximum of Stg 16 million ($A33 million) in potential bonuses. That makes the 22-year-old Liverpool's most-expensive signing ever, ahead of Netherlands centre-back and captain Virgil van Dijk who joined for Stg 75 million ($A156 million) in 2017. Wirtz, who signed a five-year contract, also becomes the fifth 100 million pound-plus signing in Premier League history, joining Chelsea midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, Arsenal's Declan Rice and Manchester City winger Jack Grealish. "I feel very happy and very proud. Finally it's done and I was waiting for a long time – finally it's done and I am really happy," Wirtz said in a statement on Friday. "I'm really excited to have a new adventure in front of me. This was also a big point of my thoughts: that I want to have something completely new, to go out of the Bundesliga and to join the Premier League." With two years left on his Leverkusen contract, Wirtz was also heavily linked with a move to German champions Bayern Munich and Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, who were looking to replace Kevin De Bruyne after the Belgian playmaker's exit. Wirtz was instrumental at Leverkusen, leading them to an undefeated domestic league and Cup double in the 2023-24 season while they went two league seasons without an away defeat. The German bagged 57 goals and provided 65 assists in 197 appearances for Leverkusen, having joined the club from Cologne in 2020. He scored 16 goals, with 15 assists, in 45 matches last season as Leverkusen finished second to Bayern. Capped 31 times by his country since his debut in 2021, Wirtz is the only player to register 10 or more goals and assists in the last two Bundesliga seasons. His signing is a statement of intent from Liverpool as they look to build on their success under Slot, the first Dutch manager to win the Premier League and the sixth coach to win the title in their first season. "I would like to win everything every year! First of all, we have to do our work, I have to make my work," Wirtz added. He becomes Liverpool's second addition of the transfer window after they signed Dutch right back Jeremie Frimpong, also from Leverkusen. Liverpool have signed Germany's Florian Wirtz from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen as the English champions smashed their transfer record to seal a deal for the attacking midfielder. Leverkusen will receive a guaranteed amount of Stg 100 million ($A209 million) and a further maximum of Stg 16 million ($A33 million) in potential bonuses. That makes the 22-year-old Liverpool's most-expensive signing ever, ahead of Netherlands centre-back and captain Virgil van Dijk who joined for Stg 75 million ($A156 million) in 2017. Wirtz, who signed a five-year contract, also becomes the fifth 100 million pound-plus signing in Premier League history, joining Chelsea midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, Arsenal's Declan Rice and Manchester City winger Jack Grealish. "I feel very happy and very proud. Finally it's done and I was waiting for a long time – finally it's done and I am really happy," Wirtz said in a statement on Friday. "I'm really excited to have a new adventure in front of me. This was also a big point of my thoughts: that I want to have something completely new, to go out of the Bundesliga and to join the Premier League." With two years left on his Leverkusen contract, Wirtz was also heavily linked with a move to German champions Bayern Munich and Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, who were looking to replace Kevin De Bruyne after the Belgian playmaker's exit. Wirtz was instrumental at Leverkusen, leading them to an undefeated domestic league and Cup double in the 2023-24 season while they went two league seasons without an away defeat. The German bagged 57 goals and provided 65 assists in 197 appearances for Leverkusen, having joined the club from Cologne in 2020. He scored 16 goals, with 15 assists, in 45 matches last season as Leverkusen finished second to Bayern. Capped 31 times by his country since his debut in 2021, Wirtz is the only player to register 10 or more goals and assists in the last two Bundesliga seasons. His signing is a statement of intent from Liverpool as they look to build on their success under Slot, the first Dutch manager to win the Premier League and the sixth coach to win the title in their first season. "I would like to win everything every year! First of all, we have to do our work, I have to make my work," Wirtz added. He becomes Liverpool's second addition of the transfer window after they signed Dutch right back Jeremie Frimpong, also from Leverkusen.
