Liverpool boss Arne Slot praised Florian Wirtz for his recent performances but insisted that there was never any doubt about the playmaker's "special" ability coming to the fore.
Wirtz arrived from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer for a reported £100m (€117.5m) transfer fee, which could rise to £116m (€133.9m) in bonuses.
However, the Germany international struggled during the early stages of his Anfield career, despite registering an assist for Hugo Ekitike on his debut in the Reds' Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace.
His first two goal involvements for the club came in the Champions League on October 22, where he registered two assists during Liverpool's 5-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.
But since a 2-1 win at Tottenham on 20 December, Wirtz has been involved in more goals than any other Premier League player in all competitions (nine – six goals, three assists).
Wirtz has also created 41 chances in the top flight, a total only Bukayo Saka, Dominik Szoboszlai (both 43), Declan Rice, Anton Stach (both 44) and Bruno Fernandes (68) can better.
"First and foremost, credit to the player because he has to do the work. Not only on the pitch but also in the gym," Slot said of Wirtz ahead of Liverpool's clash with Manchester City on Sunday.
"Then, as a manager, even if he is struggling a little bit at the start, you have to keep playing him because that is the only way he can improve. He is an example of that.
"I think he didn't improve that much on the ball because, from the start, he was special.
"Maybe now he has a better connection with his teammates because they've played more and more together.
"Off the ball is where I see the biggest improvement with him, and some others, and that combination makes you ready for the Premier League."
Another summer signing who has hit his stride is Milos Kerkez, with the full-back also having endured a difficult settling-in period.
Despite starting 20 of his 23 Premier League outings this season, Kerkez has often been replaced by Andy Robertson in games, being substituted eight times in the top flight.
However, the Hungarian ranks joint-second for tackles won for Liverpool in the league in 2025-26 (34, level with Szoboszlai), with only Ryan Gravenberch (40) winning more.
"This is what you get if you keep playing those players who sometimes have moments that are not as good as other moments or games not as good as other games," Slot said of Kerkez's improvement.
"I think that's normal for younger players and the only thing as a manager is to keep trusting them and believing in them because we know who we signed.
"We saw that potential, and we knew, and he has already been shown, that that potential will be seen if you keep playing them."