Once 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 position after an up-and-down first yr at Anfield.
Talking on The Relaxation Is Soccer, ‘Digger’ prompt that what the 22-year-old provides within the quantity 6 position is much like a sure Andrea Pirlo, who excelled in that place for a few years in his AC Milan days.
Barnes gushed: “Enjoying Ryan Gravenberch as a quantity 6 is a bit like taking part in Pirlo in a quantity 6 – a distinct sort of participant however extra attacking, extra comfy on the ball quite than a hardworking, tough, sturdy 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 position final time period, Gravenberch is providing one thing totally different from that a part of the pitch below 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 provides thrust together with his runs from deep makes him 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 technique to go earlier than cementing the legacy that Pirlo left on European soccer in his glittering taking part in days, however a sequence of sturdy shows for membership and nation in current 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 pair of.3 interceptions are the very best within the Liverpool squad for each merics to this point this time period (WhoScored) – so it seems that he’s putting a really good steadiness in his new-found position at Anfield.
If he can go on to succeed in the heights that the Milan and Italy legend loved, the Reds midfielder will turn out to be a really particular participant certainly. We will’t wait to see his star ascend even additional over the following few months and years!
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