Theo Walcott says Arsenal used to have a player who was ‘very similar’ to Florian Wirtz at Liverpool

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Theo Walcott has been discussing Florian Wirtz’s early struggles at Liverpool, and the former Premier League star has compared him to an Arsenal legend.

Liverpool had been hoping to challenge Arsenal at the top of the Premier League following their impressive summer spending, but that has not quite materialised.

Following Liverpool’s defeat against Manchester City, the Reds trail the Gunners by eight points, with several of their big summer signings struggling.

Florian Wirtz has been the player who has struggled the most, but Theo Walcott has just compared his situation to one of his former Arsenal teammates.

Theo Walcott compares Florian Wirtz to Mesut Ozil’s start at Arsenal

Walcott has compared Wirtz’s start to life at Liverpool to Mesut Ozil’s first season at the Emirates Stadium.

The German legend enjoyed a mixed first season in the Premier League, as, despite his impressive numbers, he struggled for consistency.

Having previously played in Germany and Spain, Ozil needed time to adjust to the Premier League’s speed and physicality.

The former Arsenal star worked hard on that side of his game, and Walcott believes that Wirtz must now do the same at Anfield.

Speaking to It’s Called Soccer, he said: “I remember Ozil at Arsenal. So, he would always get picked regardless of performances, and you would just think, ‘Oh, maybe you just sometimes need to just not play him or take him out of the firing line for a period of time’.

“Because there’s quality there. I’m not saying there wasn’t because he showed it on a consistent basis over time. Very similar to Wirtz, to be fair.

“In that time, I saw that Mesut was going to the gym, he was working out, he was trying to get his physical elements up to scratch because it was all essentially that, and then he started to grow into the Premier League and become, you know, an incredible player.

“Wirtz is kind of similar in that way. But I am worried about him. I do feel like he’s fearful of just making the mistake. That’s the problem.

“When you’re playing in a team that’s not confident, it’s hard to get that flow. But I do worry about players that come from different cultures into the Premier League because they’re shocked from actually how fast it is.”

Mesut Ozil’s impressive first season at Arsenal

As mentioned, Ozil’s stats during the 2013/14 season were very strong as he made 42 appearances in all competitions.

The midfielder quickly became the assist king in North London, notching eight in his first 15 Premier League matches.

But during the middle part of the season, the goals and assists dried up for Ozil, whom Walcott suggested was lazy, and he struggled to stay fit.

The former Arsenal star got his head down, worked hard in the gym and went on to become one of the best attacking midfielders the league has ever seen.