Whenever you’re taking part in for Liverpool and a membership legend in John Barnes is evaluating you to a legend of European soccer, you recognize you’re doing rather a lot 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 12 months at Anfield.
Talking on The Relaxation Is Soccer, ‘Digger’ recommended that what the 22-year-old presents within the quantity 6 function is much 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 taking part in Pirlo in a quantity 6 – a distinct kind of participant however extra attacking, extra comfy on the ball slightly 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 underneath Slot.
The Netherlands worldwide isn’t in the identical sturdy, 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 great match within the quantity 6 berth for the Reds’ new-look strategy.
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Clearly the 22-year-old nonetheless has a protracted solution to go earlier than cementing the legacy that Pirlo left on European soccer in his glittering taking part in days, however a collection of robust shows for membership and nation in latest weeks recommend 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 best within the Liverpool squad for each merics up to now this time period (WhoScored) – so it seems that he’s placing a really good steadiness in his new-found function at Anfield.
If he can go on to succeed in the heights that the Milan and Italy legend loved, the Reds midfielder will develop into a really particular participant certainly. We will’t wait to see his star ascend even additional over the subsequent few months and years!
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