Florian Wirtz is starting to settle at Liverpool and is expected to continue improving, manager Arne Slot said after the German midfielder scored his first goal for the Premier League champions in their 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Liverpool signed Wirtz in June for a reported £100 million ($135 million), with a potential £16 million in add-ons. The 22-year-old had gone more than 20 appearances without finding the net before delivering the decisive strike on Saturday, prompting Slot to stress that Wirtz’s contributions had often been overlooked in a sport obsessed with statistics.

“I’m quite sure it was a relief for him. You could see it in his reaction after the goal – and the same from his teammates. I think they were genuinely happy for him,” Slot told reporters.

“In football – rightly so, maybe – we are mainly judged on results, and individuals mostly on goals and assists. Sometimes we forget all the other important things a player does during a game.”

The Dutch manager encouraged Wirtz to keep building on this milestone.

“He’s had multiple good games for us, and I feel he improves with every match. He’s getting fitter and was coming closer and closer to his first goal,” Slot added.

“It wasn’t a surprise that he scored today, but he’d probably be the first to say that one goal isn’t enough. He will score many more, but I also liked his overall performance – he was special in many moments.”

Liverpool, currently fourth in the Premier League, will next host 16th-placed Leeds United on January 1.