'If I'm honest' - Ryan Gravenberch on Arne Slot phone call that changed everything for him at Liverpool

'If I'm honest' - Ryan Gravenberch on Arne Slot phone call that changed everything for him at Liverpool

Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch has lifted the lid on the methods behind his transformation into an impressive number six under Arne Slot this season

Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch with Standard Chartered’s 'Futuremakers' logo on the front of his shirt. The Reds will wear the kit against Chelsea on Sunday (Image: LFC )

Anyone who has witnessed the manner in which Ryan Gravenberch has been navigating the hurly-burly of the Premier League with rare elegance cannot fail but to be impressed by his remarkable transformation into a defensive midfielder this season. For the Liverpool man, though, preparation for such a change began way back as a youngster on the streets of Amsterdam.

And his brother Danzell, also a professional footballer, can claim credit for steeling his younger sibling for what was to come.

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"He's eight years older than me and was playing at Ajax at the time," recalls Gravenberch. "When I was younger I just watched him play and when we were a bit older I would go with him to play on the streets. He's a big boy so it was difficult for me.

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"He toughened me up to become stronger and he did everything for me. Physically he is really bigger than me. I also played against him during that time and, well, he was not holding back on me! Do I have him to thank (for toughening me up)? For sure!"

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Certainly, Gravenberch feels comfortable in his new role as he talks to a small group of journalists on the steps inside the AXA Training Centre in Kirkby. A start to the season of nine wins from 10 for Liverpool and a glut of man-of-the-match awards are testament to that. The Holland international knows, though, the job is far from done.

"It feels good but to be honest I have to adapt more because I'm not like a natural defending number six," says Gravenberch, who will be expected to start the Premier League visit of Chelsea on Sunday. "First (at the start of his career) I was like a more attacking midfielder so for myself I have to adapt more. I think the first games were really good but I have to keep improving.

"We have a lot of possession and I have a lot of the ball and that is what I wanted so it feels good, it feels comfortable."

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The decision to tweak Gravenberch's role and make him a regular starter in the Liverpool midfield has perhaps been the most eye-catching change engendered by his fellow Dutchman Arne Slot after replacing Jurgen Klopp as Reds boss during the summer.

"After the Euros he called me and he said he wants to give me a chance and then he said 'I want you to focus on the number eight position but I also want to see you in the number six position'," says the 22-year-old.

"My first reaction was really good because as a player it doesn't really matter where you play as long as you can play.

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"When I played at Ajax I also played this role, not a lot, so I knew a little bit of what I had to do. And also for him he saw me playing at Ajax, so maybe he thought I had the ability and the things to play on the six.

"The manager showed me a few clips, and (Liverpool assistant coach) John Heitinga - I had him at Ajax so he knows me really well - I had chats with him about good positioning, where the ball can come and also about attacking-wise where I have to stand."

Not that Gravenberch has been scouring YouTube for clips of great defensive midfielders past and present. "If I am honest... not really!" he laughs.

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What, then, about Liverpool team-mates? "Also not really!" he adds. "But I spoke to Macca (Alexis Mac Allister) because obviously last season he played a lot there and also (Wataru) Endo about what they do, anticipating where the ball can come, just some little chats."

Gravenberch comes from a strong tradition of midfielders at Ajax. When making his debut for the club aged 16 years and 130 days in September 2018, he replaced Clarence Seedorf as the youngest player to appear for the Dutch side.

"If I'm honest, I'm very proud of that because look at the career of Seedorf and what he achieved, the prizes he won and what kind of player he was," says Gravenberch. "To surpass his record was a really proud moment for me and my family. He is an idol of mine. Can I beat his record of four Champions League titles? Hopefully!

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"When I grew up you had Ronaldo and Messi, they still play. But my other idol was Zidane. I never saw him live, but I saw clips of him and it was really great.

"Obviously when you're a kid on the streets you want to be like him, you want to achieve what he did as well. For me, it made me think when I grow up I definitely want to win the prizes and make it to the big teams."

After Ajax, of course, came another big team in Bayern Munich, although after an unhappy year in Germany he jumped at the chance when Liverpool came calling last summer. But while there were more opportunities with the Reds, Gravenberch still wasn't able to nail down a regular place or position.

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"When I came here - the coach didn't say to me 'okay, you will get a starting XI position', you know - it was already in my head that I will get my chances, that my time will come," he says. "My goal when I came here was to get more minutes (than at Bayern) and I had more minutes and I was happy that I did that."

Asked about the differences between Klopp and his successor Slot, Gravenberch adds: "I think in football terms under Klopp we played more directly and we did a lot of counter-pressing as well.

"I think we did it really good but I think with this manager it is a bit more about good positioning, being able to kill the opponents with passes and play out from the back."

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Now having been at Liverpool for more than 12 months, Gravenberch is firmly established in England. Some aspects, though, have been a little more difficult to master than others.

"Have I learned any Scouse? Not yet, maybe in the future!" he smiles. "I really like it here. If I can add a minus point, it's the weather. But for the rest, everything is really nice. Also the people here are really nice. It's lovely."

If Gravenberch has proven one thing so far this season, it's that he has no problem adapting to new surrounds.

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Ryan Gravenberch was speaking ahead of Liverpool's Premier League fixture with Chelsea, a match that will see the hosts feature Standard Chartered’s 'Futuremakers' logo on the front of their shirts. For more information and the chance to bid on his matchworn shirt, visit this website

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