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Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch puts pressure on Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz during the UEFA Champions League match at Anfield on November 5 2024(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)

His performances may have been overlooked by his peers for the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

But there's no doubting the pivotal role Ryan Gravenberch played in helping Liverpool claim a record-equalling 20th championship last season.

After three with Ajax and one with Bayern Munich, it was perhaps the most unexpected of Gravenberch's five titles, particularly given the positional shift by new head coach Arne Slot that kickstarted both the Dutchman's Anfield career and Liverpool's Premier League challenge.

Eyebrows were raised when Gravenberch, whose main trait during his fitful debut season with the Reds under Jurgen Klopp had been his ability to drive forward from midfield, was moved back in late pre-season as one of two deeper-lying players at the base of the midfield.

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It proved a masterstroke, unlocking the 23-year-old's full range of talents while, alongside Alexis Mac Allister, providing the foundation for an outstanding campaign for Slot's side.

The first real hint came at Old Trafford a fortnight into the season when Gravenberch helped Liverpool dominate Manchester United with both his pressing and passing.

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The Holland international excelled throughout the first half of the season, with successive performances in home wins against Real Madrid and Manchester City the highlight.

A run of poor games starting at Everton in mid-February ended with him one of many to suffer in the away Champions League game at Paris Saint-Germain and the League Cup final loss to Newcastle.

The midfielder also wasn't helped by the reluctance of Slot to rotate as tiredness seeped into his game having not been a regular the previous two seasons.

There were better showings during the Premier League run-in to help Liverpool over the line.

The only aspect missing from Gravenberch's game was a goal although there were four assists, the last of which set up Mac Allister to score the goal against Tottenham Hotspur in April that effectively sealed the championship.

Florian Wirtz's imminent arrival will assist Gravenberch in the sense Dominik Szoboszlai will most likely become an option in terms of rotating the two defensive midfielders, offering the Dutchman more chance of the occasional breather.

And how Wirtz adapts to playing with Gravenberch behind him and vice-versa will be an intriguing sub-plot of the opening weeks of the new campaign.

Having established himself in the Liverpool team, things are now going to become even more interesting for Gravenberch.

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Season rating: 9


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