Ryan Gravenberch has thanked Jurgen Klopp for restoring his confidence since his move to Liverpool earlier this year, revealing the four-word message given to him by the manager upon signing for the Reds.
The Dutch midfielder joined on transfer deadline day after an unhappy year-and-a-bit at Bayern Munich, where he made just three league starts, a tally he’s already surpassed in three months at Anfield (WhoScored).
Speaking to TNT Sports ahead of Saturday’s trip to Crystal Palace, the 21-year-old explained how his boss instantly gave him a ‘warm feeling’ from the moment he arrived on Merseyside at the end of the summer.
Gravenberch said of Klopp (via Liverpool Echo): “When I spoke to him, he gave me a warm feeling, like a family, you know? That’s what I missed. I’m very happy he gave me that feeling.
“I’ve a good connection with the coach. When he has something to say to me about the game, or something else, we just talk with each other. I have a good connection with him. He just gives me confidence, to give me minutes on the pitch again.
“He just told me: ‘Enjoy the game again’, and that’s what I did. With the minutes, the confidence came back. Of course, you have to play well, but if you get minutes and do your own thing, what you’re good at, then of course [confidence] will come back.”
Even if he had to wait until the Merseyside derby on 21 October for his first Premier League start, Gravenberch had already made a telling impact on the Liverpool team before then, scoring in the Europa League win over Union Saint-Gilloise and providing assists in two other games (Transfermarkt).
There was no need for a ‘settling in’ period as such, with the Dutchman instantly warming to the task that Klopp set him within the Reds’ line-up.
He’d shown in his time at Ajax why Bayern brought him to the Bundesliga in 2022; and based on his performances at Anfield, it begs the question as to why neither Julian Nagelsmann nor Thomas Tuchel saw fit to make him a regular starter at the Allianz Arena.
Of course, we can only speculate as to what may have been happening behind the scenes or away from football in Munich, but what’s obvious is that Gravenberch has looked a footballer reborn ever since coming to Liverpool.
With a simple four-word message, Klopp instantly got the 21-year-old on board, and the youngster is repaying that faith with energetic displays in the middle of the park. It’s wonderful to see that he finally has a manager who trusts in him and is duly extracting the best out of him.