“He’s just a beautiful player, isn’t he great?” - Rafael van der Vaart lavishes praise on Liverpool star after win against Bologna
Former Real Madrid and Ajax attacker Rafael van der Vaart praised Liverpool star Ryan Gravenberch after the Reds' 2-0 win over Bologna in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday (October 2). The 41-year-old Dutchman lauded his countryman's all-round performance, calling him a 'beautiful player'.
Gravenberch joined Liverpool from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023 for a reported fee of around £34 million. He couldn't nail down a starting spot in his first season at Anfield, with 17 of his 38 appearances in 2023-24 being off the bench.
This season, however, he has been a regular starter under new manager Arne Slot. He has been an indispensable part of the Reds' midfield as their No. 6, showcasing his strength and technicality to dominate oppositions.
The game against Bologna was no different, with Gravenberch controlling the tempo from kick-off until the final whistle. Although Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah assisted Alexis Mac Allister's opener (11') and scored a goal himself (75'), the 22-year-old was voted as the Man of the Match by Reds supporters.
Speaking to Ziggo Sport after the game, Van der Vaart said (via Anfield Central h/t Voetbalprimeur):
"He (Gravenberch) was the man of the first half. He was in between everything. And the way he turned away, a kind of contortionist. The power he radiates. He's just a beautiful player. Isn't he great?"
Liverpool have won eight of their first nine games this season (one loss), with 22 goals scored and just four conceded.
"What a revelation he's been" - Former Premier League star Peter Crouch makes claim about Liverpool star Ryan Gravenberch
Former Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur star Peter Crouch gushed over midfielder Ryan Gravenberch's performance in the Reds' 2-0 win over Bologna in the UEFA Champions League.
Gravenberch was one of Liverpool's standout players throughout the game, marshalling the midfield and helping his side shore up the comfortable victory. After being in and out of the lineup last season, the 22-year-old has been a regular starter in the revamped No. 6 role handed to him by manager Arne Slot.
Speaking on TNT Sports after the game, Crouch, who bagged 42 goals and 23 assists in 135 appearances for the Reds, said (via BBC):
"Gravenberch was kind of untested in that number six role, but what a revelation he's been. He's been first class all season, he's made the shirt his own. What I like about him, we talk about breaking the lines all the time and most of the time you break the lines with a key pass, with a forward pass."
"He can do it like that but also by running he can beat two or three people in the midfield, he's attacking the defence through to the centre-half and that creates space for wide men like Diaz and Salah, for him to be able to slip in," Crouch added.
Gravenberch will likely be named in Slot's starting lineup in Liverpool's next game, a Premier League clash against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park (October 5).