4 THINGS WE LEARNED

Wirtz gives glimpse of technical excellence and Ngumoha shows level of talent beyond his years

- By IAN DOYLE

So the fervour truly begins.

Missing at Preston North End and shut behind closed doors against Stoke City, Florian Wirtz has, more by accident than design, been kept under wraps by Liverpool since his club record signing arrival from Bayer Leverkusen.

This, then, was a first real glimpse of the £116million man, even if, playing as one of two false number 10s alongside Harvey Elliott to spearhead a side missing a recognised striker, it was hardly in the most representative fashion.

And while the sample size was small during his 45 minutes against AC Milan, there was more than enough reason for Reds supporters to be enthused.

Although hardly the largest physical specimen, Wirtz is strong and quick, both in terms of his feet and speed of thought.

If the brief highlights released from the Stoke game showcased some of his short-range passing, against Milan his full range was on display.

There was something effortless in the way Wirtz controlled the ball and then swept a pass forward, often seeking out Mohamed Salah on the right flank.

Already there are signs of a relationship blossoming between the two, particularly during one flowing move where the unmarked Egyptian should have shot rather than attempting to tee up his new teammate.

And it was telling that when Wirtz dropped into the attacking midfielder positions for which he has ostensibly been bought that he truly began to shine, able to find the pockets of space in which he will be expected to do his greatest damage - with a striker ahead of him to service, of course.

Szoboszlai steps up

One of the most curious aspects of the win over Stoke City last weekend was the sight of Dominik Szoboszlai lining up at right-back.