Former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol has spoken of his admiration for one current Reds hero, admitting he is stunned by his performances this season.
The Reds have made an almost-perfect start to life under Arne Slot, winning six out of seven Premier League games and sitting top of the table.
There have been so many star performers for Liverpool in recent months, from Virgil van Dijk to Luis Diaz, but Ryan Gravenberch has arguably been the best of the lot.
Speaking on ESPN FC’s YouTube channel [via Empire of the Kop], Nicol heaped praise on the impact the Dutchman has made in 2024/25 to date, admitting he has proved him wrong:
“Talk about coming from absolutely nowhere. My goodness, what he’s produced – talk about putting somebody in the perfect position.
“It’s shocked me, to be honest. I was looking at Gravenberch as someone Slot would look to move on but in a very short space of time he has completely changed my opinion and, I’m sure, plenty of other opinions as well.”
Our thoughts on Gravenberch’s form this season…
The emergence of Gravenberch as a key player had been one of the feel-good stories of the campaign so far, having endured an up-and-down first year in a Liverpool shirt.
The 22-year-old has been nothing short of sensational alongside Alexis Mac Allister in a double pivot, not only oozing class in tight spaces but also working so hard out of possession.
Gravenberch has completed 89.5% of his passes in the Premier League, as well as averaging 2.1 tackles per game, which is only bettered by Mac Allister (2.6) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (2.4).
Few saw the Netherlands international being one of the first names on Slot’s team sheet during the summer, even wondering if he had a long-term future at Anfield, but he now feels like an indispensable figure with the potential to grow into a world-class footballer as the years pass.
