Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch outlines quality he lost under Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch admitted he lost his confidence as he struggled for game time during his first season at Anfield. The Dutchman joined the Reds from Bayern Munich in 2023, but lined up just 12 times in the Premier League under Jurgen Klopp.

It was a difficult period for Gravenberch, who moved to Anfield on the back of a spell with Bayern that also didn't go as he would have liked. The 22-year-old was tipped for a big future in the game from a young age at Ajax, but he struggled for game time at Bayern, leaving for Liverpool after just a year.

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Another indifferent season at a top club followed, and Gravenberch's confidence dipped, before Arne Slot arrived and placed his faith in his compatriot in midfield. Gravenberch has started in all of Liverpool's Premier League and Champions League matches so far this season, winning multiple Player of the Match awards and earning plenty of plaudits for his performances at the base of the Reds' midfield.

"Things are going well, I'm in a good flow," Gravenberch told Ajax club media on a visit back to his old club. "This season I'm playing a lot more minutes and I'm getting the confidence that was a little bit gone. That's paying off.

"Last season I played a bit less and then you also learn other things about football. At Ajax I played everything, but I went abroad early. Then it also comes down to the mental part when you don't play. No, I don't think I left [Ajax] too early. I don't regret that choice.

"You have to stay close to yourself. I do the things I did at Ajax. Then people are surprised, but I have always done this. The biggest lesson is that I have to stay myself."

Gravenberch and Slot seem to have an excellent relationship at Liverpool, and, speaking last weekend, the player said that he was in contact with the manager last season.

"I discuss all kinds of things with him," Gravenberch said of his relationship with Slot. "It's mainly about football. We talked last season as well. I have a good bond with him and I'm very happy he's here. We think in the same way. He likes football and building up from the back. That suits me super well too."