There are not many players in world football who have their former club manager publicly spelling out exactly how to use them. Florian Wirtz, though, is one of them — and Liverpool should be paying close attention.

Wirtz's debut season at Anfield was, by any honest measure, a letdown. Seven goals and ten assists across 49 appearances sounds reasonable enough on paper, but those numbers flattered a campaign riddled with inconsistency. The flashes were there. The sustained brilliance was not. For a player brought in at significant cost to fill a significant void, it simply was not good enough.

Now, with Andoni Iraola taking the reins from Arne Slot and bringing with him an aggressively attacking philosophy, the mood around Wirtz has shifted. There is genuine optimism that the Spaniard's style could be the environment the 23-year-old needs to finally show Liverpool what he is truly capable of. But the most interesting development has come not from Merseyside, not from Iraola's coaching staff, and not from Wirtz himself — it has come from the Germany dugout.

Jurgen Klopp was appointed as the new Germany national team manager earlier this month, following the four-time world champions' exit from the World Cup at the round of 32 stage against Paraguay. And almost immediately, Klopp has been broadcasting exactly how he intends to unlock Wirtz for his country — observations that translate just as neatly to club level.

Speaking about Wirtz's performance against Curacao, Klopp was refreshingly direct: "The important thing is that we involve him in the game. There were moments against Curacao when I thought, just give him the ball. Not even because he was the best passing option, but because, as a teammate, I want Flo Wirtz to feel good. If I were Schlotterbeck, I'd just give him the ball five times for no particular reason and see what he does."

There is something almost beautifully simple about that. Not tactical complexity. Not elaborate movement patterns. Just give him the ball and trust what happens next.

Klopp went further, adding: "If you really want Flo Wirtz to get into a rhythm, if you want the place to really be buzzing, then give him the ball, because that's when the lad feels completely at home. I was incredibly grateful to him. I thought he was really, really good, especially in how tactically disciplined he was."

Now consider one of the most consistent criticisms of Wirtz during his first season at Liverpool. He dropped too deep. Repeatedly. Collecting the ball in his own half, attempting to do everything himself, effectively removing himself from the positions where he hurts teams most. It diluted his impact in the final third and frustrated supporters who had seen glimpses of what he could produce when operating higher up the pitch.

Klopp addressed this directly too, which is remarkable when you consider he is now managing the international side rather than Liverpool. "He can't keep dropping back to his own penalty area, pick up the ball and do everything himself," Klopp explained. "We have to find situations where we can use him in those positions, because his positioning creates so much space for Nmecha, for Adeyemi, for everyone making runs into those areas."

Replace those names with Liverpool teammates and the message is identical. Wirtz in advanced positions does not just benefit himself. It creates the geometry that makes those around him more dangerous. It opens corridors. It drags defenders. It generates the kind of chaos that a team playing with Iraola's attacking intensity will need in abundance.

The timing of all this is significant. Wirtz has joined up with his Liverpool teammates in Chicago ahead of pre-season, and a potential debut under Iraola against Leeds United on Sunday could offer the first indication of how the new manager intends to use him. That match will be watched with particular interest — not just for Wirtz's performance, but for where he is actually positioned on the pitch and how often the ball finds its way to him.

Iraola's expressive philosophy should, in theory, be the natural habitat for a player of Wirtz's intelligence and creativity. The key is ensuring that the structural demands of the system actively push Wirtz into those dangerous pockets rather than allowing the bad habits of last season to resurface. A full year adapting to the pace and physicality of English football should help. So should a manager who has been very publicly told, by the man who knows the player best, exactly what makes him tick.

Liverpool did nothing to earn this particular advantage. Klopp walking into the Germany job was simply what happened. But the insight he is providing into Wirtz, free of charge and out in the open for anyone willing to listen, could be one of the most quietly useful things to happen to Liverpool's season before a ball has even been kicked in anger.

Iraola would do very well indeed to have those Klopp quotes pinned to his office wall. If Wirtz gets the ball, the freedom, and the positioning that Klopp is describing at international level, his second season at Anfield could look very different from his first. The question is whether Liverpool's new manager acts on what is, in effect, a free masterclass.