Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has said that Florian Wirtz "coming out of the team" could be the solution to his confidence and form improving after a disappointing start to the season.
Wirtz -- who was one of Liverpool's marquee signings last summer -- completed a move worth £116 million ($156.27m) from Bayer Leverkusen but supporters are still waiting for the highly-anticipated arrival to live up to his price tag at Anfield as patience wears thin.
The 23-year-old is yet to score a goal for Andoni Iraola's side this season despite featuring in every game, managing only his second assist on Thursday, when he set up Bradley Barcola's second goal in the Reds' 6-3 win over LASK in the Champions League.
"His confidence is short at Liverpool at the moment and you can see it when you watch him live," former Liverpool midfielder Gerrard said on The Overlap. "He's giving the ball away, simple balls that he wouldn't give away.
"I have had dips in form and lack of confidence and the best thing for me was to come out of the team for periods of time.
"And when someone is playing in your position you start going 'oh he might take my place' and you get that little bit of fear and then you have to build your consistency in training and then it starts coming out in games."
Wirtz started in the No. 10 role in Liverpool's 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday but failed to impress and was the first player to be withdrawn following Ryan Gravenberch's red card despite the home side desperately needing a goal.
Asked whether pulling Wirtz out of the team is the solution to the player's improvement in form, Gerrard said: "That might be the thing that makes him go 's--- my place is gone' and that's what you fear. It's happened to me.
"The problem Liverpool have is [Hugo] Ekitike is missing, [Alexander] Isak's been a bit flakey as of late, [Cody] Gakpo's injured so at the moment you probably can't do that. But when you start getting a few bodies back, I don't think it will do him any harm to come out.
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"He needs to be looking at his clips in training and in games, the balls he's giving away and needs his staff and manager to grab him, he's a talent, he's young, you can't give up on these people. He needs help and he needs support."
Gerrard was asked how much more time the German international should be given to succeed at Anfield.
"I'd say at the end of the season if the form is still the same and he is still underperforming and he's not delivering after he's had two seasons, I think it's a bit different then," Gerrard said.
Wirtz scored seven goals in 49 appearances for Liverpool last season.
