Florian Wirtz is a flexible advanced creator whose natural reference point is the No.10 role, but he is not limited to playing centrally. He has operated from the left or right and as a false nine, and his early Liverpool appearances under head coach Andoni Iraola show him involved in attacking transitions. The current season is still at an early stage, so it is more accurate to describe his Liverpool role as developing than to assign him one settled position.
Is Florian Wirtz a No.10?
That is the best starting point for understanding his game, but not a complete description of where he plays. In an interview published by Liverpool FC on August 1, 2026, Wirtz said: “Of course. I mean, I was always more like a No.10. But I play where the manager puts me.” The quote captures both his preference for an advanced central creative role and his willingness to move around the attack. Read the interview with Wirtz.
A No.10 typically receives behind the opposition midfield and looks to link play with the forwards. Wirtz can work from that area, but he may also drift into wider pockets or move higher when a teammate occupies the central space. His useful position depends less on a fixed spot on the team sheet than on where he can receive, combine and influence the next attacking action.
How his role has changed across teams and seasons
Bayer Leverkusen
Liverpool’s June 2025 analysis describes Wirtz as primarily an inverted left winger during Leverkusen’s 2024/25 season. Forty-five per cent of his open-play touches came on the left side of the opposition half, although that figure does not mean he stayed in that channel: he also drifted across the pitch in a manner associated with a No.10. He had sometimes played as a false nine during the 2023/24 campaign. See Liverpool’s analysis of Wirtz’s Leverkusen role.
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Liverpool under Arne Slot, 2025/26
In his first Liverpool campaign, Wirtz was used as a No.10, on either flank and as a false nine. The Premier League’s analysis of that period says he increasingly avoided the most crowded central areas, instead finding pockets nearer the final third. In some matches, Alexis Mac Allister or Curtis Jones occupied the No.10 area, allowing Wirtz to play higher. These observations describe Slot’s 2025/26 arrangements; they do not establish Iraola’s approach. Read the Premier League’s Slot-era analysis.
The same Premier League article compared Wirtz’s first 15 league matches with his following six. He completed 14 dribbles in the first stretch and 16 in the second; his completed passes per 90 rose from 45.6 to 73.8. Those figures describe that specific 2025/26 comparison, not his current-season output.
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Liverpool under Andoni Iraola, 2026/27
Iraola is Liverpool’s head coach in 2026/27, following Slot’s departure after Wirtz’s debut season at the club. Wirtz has said he is happy to play where the manager places him, while naming the No.10 as his natural reference role. Liverpool’s early lineups and match coverage show him selected as part of the attacking unit, but a team sheet alone cannot pin down his precise position once play begins.
In a September 2026 match against Bournemouth, Liverpool’s report described Wirtz and Bradley Barcola combining in a counter-attacking move that led to a Barcola chance. It also noted Wirtz contesting the ball that fell to Alexander Isak before the winning goal. These are concrete examples of transition involvement and presence around the box, not enough evidence on their own to define a settled tactical pattern. Read Liverpool’s Bournemouth match report.
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What helps Wirtz influence Liverpool’s attack?
The key is giving him room to receive and move, rather than treating the No.10 position as a marked rectangle on the pitch. The Slot-era Premier League analysis documents his use of pockets nearer the final third and the effect of teammates occupying central space. Under Iraola, Liverpool’s early-season club analysis describes a high press and quicker forward progress after five matches. That team context could suit a player who can receive between lines, turn, combine and move toward the box, but that is a tactical interpretation—not a confirmed description of Iraola’s specific plan for Wirtz. Read Liverpool’s early-season analysis.
- Starting position: Wirtz can begin centrally, from the left or right, or as a false nine.
- Receiving space: He can move away from congested central areas to find room between the opposition midfield and defence.
- Freedom to drift: Moving across the attacking line lets him find openings and connect with teammates rather than remaining fixed in one channel.
- Teammate movement: A forward running beyond him, a winger attacking space, or another midfielder taking the central zone can change where Wirtz is most useful.
- Phase of play: His Bournemouth involvement offers an early example of contributing during a transition; settled possession and pressing situations call for separate assessment.
What Wirtz’s historical numbers do—and do not—show
Liverpool’s June 2025 analysis reported that Wirtz created 253 open-play chances in the Bundesliga from his debut in May 2020, with only Thomas Müller creating more in the same timeframe. It also reported 44 Bundesliga assists during his Leverkusen spell, a total exceeded only by Müller and Vincenzo Grifo over that period. These are historical Bundesliga figures: they illustrate his record as a creator, but they are not Liverpool or 2026/27 statistics. View the figures in Liverpool’s analysis.
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