Whenever you’re enjoying for Liverpool and a membership legend in John Barnes is evaluating you to a legend of European soccer, you’re doing lots proper.
Ryan Gravenberch has been one of many standout performers within the early weeks of Arne Slot’s reign because the Reds’ head coach, with the Dutchman excelling in a defensive midfield function after an up-and-down first yr at Anfield.
Talking on The Relaxation Is Soccer, ‘Digger’ advised that what the 22-year-old presents within the quantity 6 function is just like a sure Andrea Pirlo, who excelled in that place for a few years in his AC Milan days.
Barnes gushed: “Taking part in Ryan Gravenberch as a quantity 6 is a bit like enjoying Pirlo in a quantity 6 – a special kind of participant however extra attacking, extra snug on the ball relatively than a hardworking, troublesome, robust defensive midfield participant.”
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After years of watching Fabinho thrive as a destroyer on the base of Liverpool’s midfield, and Wataru Endo providing related qualities in that function final time period, Gravenberch is providing one thing completely different from that a part of the pitch beneath Slot.
The Netherlands worldwide isn’t in the identical strong, teak-tough mould as his aforementioned counterparts from Brazil and Japan, however the method during which he receives the ball on the half-turn and presents thrust along with his runs from deep makes him a very good match within the quantity 6 berth for the Reds’ new-look method.
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Clearly the 22-year-old nonetheless has an extended option to go earlier than cementing the legacy that Pirlo left on European soccer in his glittering enjoying days, however a collection of robust shows for membership and nation in latest weeks counsel that our quantity 38 may very well be within the early throes of a really career-changing season.
Gravenberch can nonetheless commendably carry out his duties off the ball – his match averages of two.7 tackles and a couple of.3 interceptions are the very best within the Liverpool squad for each merics up to now this time period (WhoScored) – so it seems that he’s putting a really good steadiness in his new-found function at Anfield.
If he can go on to achieve the heights that the Milan and Italy legend loved, the Reds midfielder will develop into a really particular participant certainly. We are able to’t wait to see his star ascend even additional over the subsequent few months and years!
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