'He's Been Absolutely Brilliant' - Didi Hamann On Liverpool's Former Bayern Munich Midfielder Ryan Gravenberch
Former Liverpool player Dietmar Hamann has spoken exclusively to LFC Transfer Room courtesy of Premier League Odds about Ryan Gravenberch's performances under Arne Slot and the difficult season he endured at Bayern Munich.
The Dutch international has been a revelation under the former Feyenoord manager and has established himself as one of the Premier League's top-performing players in an unfamiliar defensive midfield role.
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After the Reds missed out on the signing of Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi in the summer, fans were left wondering who would compete with Wataru Endo for the all-important number six position.
Since day one of the new campaign, however, Gravenberch has excelled in his new role, establishing himself as a major player in Slot's team.
We asked Hamann his thoughts on Gravenberch this season, and the German was full of praise for the 22-year-old and his teammate Curtis Jones.
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"I think he's been absolutely brilliant. But I've got to say, the way Slot used him has been exceptional. And I think him and [Curtis Jones] in the middle of the park are one of the reasons why Liverpool is doing so well."
We also asked the former Bayern Munich man why he thought things did not work out for the midfielder in the Bundesliga during his one season in Bavaria after he made the switch from Ajax.
"Obviously, when he came to Bayern Munich, the two players playing there were Kimmich and Goretzka. At the time, they were the players playing that position for the national team."
"I think that made it hard for him because he lost his place in the national team. He missed the World Cup because he hardly played in Munich."
"When he did play, He did perform, but when he did come on, he played in a more offensive role. And yeah, a lot of people in Munich are scratching their heads now why he wasn't used more when he was here because he's a brilliant player."
As a former defensive midfielder himself, it was fascinating to get insight from Hamann about a player who can hopefully emulate the success the German had at Anfield.
Look out for more exclusives from LFC Transfer Room in the coming weeks.
Mature Liverpool Enthusiast. LFC Transfer Room contributor & writer since 2021.