Florian Wirtz lands iconic Liverpool shirt number after furious 'respect' outburst

Florian Wirtz will claim Liverpool’s iconic No 7 shirt with his favoured No 10 already taken. The German midfielder was signed for a fee that could reach £116m from Bayer Leverkusen earlier this summer.

Even before arriving at Anfield, there was already drama over the squad number that he would don on Merseyside. It was suggested that Wirtz was keen to wear the No 10 shirt. The issue? That number is currently occupied by Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister.

A frustrated Wirtz took to social media to debunk those claims. Writing on his Instagram story, the Germany star wrote: “Who says I want the 10. I respect players. Don't believe everything what's written."

While Wirtz will not be donning the same number he wore at Leverkusen, the 22-year-old has landed another iconic number following the unveiling of Liverpool's new home kit from Adidas. He will wear the No 7 throughout the coming season, with the shirt having been left vacant following Luis Diaz’s move to German giants Bayern Munich.

Ironically, Wirtz actually played a huge role in the winger’s switch to the Bundesliga. Speaking at his Bayern unveiling, Diaz said: "I know what kind of football is played here.

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“Florian told me that the Bundesliga has a high intensity, comparable to the Premier League. The stadiums are always full. Florian wished me a lot of luck.”

Away from Diaz, Wirtz follows in the name of a whole host of iconic Liverpool players to wear the shirt. Steve McManaman, Peter Beardsley, Luis Suarez and Harry Kewell are among the former Reds stars to have claimed the number during their careers at Anfield.

Liverpool fans have since taken to social media to hail the decision to give Wirtz the number seven. One fan said: “Wirtz 7 just looks right,” while another added: “Wirtz 7 just looks so good.”

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Other supporters are expecting big things from Wirtz with the number on his back. Another fan said: “Flo Wirtz takes on the iconic Liverpool No.7 shirt. Once worn by Keegan, Dalglish, Beardsley, McManaman, Kewell, Smicer, Suarez, Milner, Diaz..The legacy continues..”

A final supporter added: “Wirtz given the iconic number 7 to take us to glory and win our seventh UCL.”

Wirtz will certainly hope to enjoy a positive start to life with his new squad number. Following a friendly with Spanish side Athletic Bilbao, he then has the chance to secure a debut trophy in the Community Shield clash with Crystal Palace. Liverpool then get their Premier League season underway against Bournemouth.

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