Ryan Gravenberch explains Arne Slot change that has made him Liverpool undroppable
Ryan Gravenberch believes the arrival of Arne Slot has given him the opportunity to press reset on his Liverpool career and admits he needed time to adapt to life in the Premier League.
Gravenberch has been a revelation so far this term, starting all but one of the Reds' games in all competitions. The Netherlands international joined the club from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023 and endured a mixed debut campaign at Anfield, starting just 12 games in the Premier League under Jurgen Klopp.
Under Slot, however, the 22-year-old has been Liverpool's standout performer, excelling in a deep-lying midfield role alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. And he has now opened up on how much he is enjoying life under the new head coach.
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"It was really nice to be back at Liverpool after the summer because I was very excited to start this season and really happy to work under the new coach," he said, speaking in the latest edition of Walk On, the club's eMagazine.
"So far it has been really nice. We started on zero again with the new coach. Everyone started on zero and had to… not impress, but show themselves again because we have a new coach who is making new decisions.
"Training is different, of course, because there is different staff. We are doing different exercises. Klopp had his exercises and the coach likes to do his own exercises so I think it's a bit different this season, but as I said it has been nice. I think he likes everything in position, for us to be in possession and to kill the opponent with passes. I am really happy with that style and enjoy the way we play."
Gravenberch has long been viewed as one of the most exciting midfielders in Europe, becoming the youngest ever Ajax player to play in the Eredivisie in 2018, surpassing the previous record set by the legendary Clarence Seedorf. It was little surprise, then, that Bayern moved to sign him in 2022 however the Dutchman struggled for form during his time in Munich, starting just three Bundesliga games across the campaign.
Reflecting on his transition to English football, Gravenberch said:"I think I had an OK season for my first season in the Premier League. My goal was to get more minutes than I had at my previous club and I reached that goal.
"There were ups and downs, but in the end I look back at my first season at Liverpool with a good feeling. The Premier League is quicker than German football. It is more intense, both when you are in possession and when you are pressing.
"Counter-attacks are at speed and I think you get more time on the ball when you are in possession in the Bundesliga. You have to adapt here, but how quickly you adapt depends. Every player is different and, to be honest, I like a period to adapt. I wasn't used to the Premier League, of course, and I didn't play a lot of football before I came here, but I had the time to adapt and I really needed it.
"It can take time to build relationships on the pitch and, what I said, every player is different. I think if you train a lot with your teammates you adapt to them quicker and adapt to the league quicker."
Certainly, Gravenberch looks to have adapted well to Slot's brand of football, with the Dutchman having played a big role in helping Liverpool climb to the top of the Premier League table. But while the Reds have made a fine start to life under their new boss, winning nine of their 10 games in all competitions, their No.38 insists the squad are not getting carried away.
"We just have to see game by game and not look too far in front," he said. "Of course, as a player you want to win a lot of prizes, especially the Premier League, but the other prizes as well.
"It is an exciting time to be at Liverpool and, for me, this season, my goal is to win more prizes. That is my big aim for this season, but we will see game by game.