Liverpool star’s father claims Jürgen Klopp made him ‘50% better’ but Arne Slot suits him better

The father of Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch has praised the impact Jürgen Klopp has had on his son. The Netherlands international arrived at Anfield last summer during a midfield overhaul at the club.

Long-term servants Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have made way for Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endõ to sign for the club. All the additions have been successful to some degree, although Gravenberch has found it the most difficult to adapt to life in the Premier League.

The 22-year-old, who left Bayern Munich to join the Reds, has been limited to just 12 starts in English football due to both injuries and has not found his best form in red. However, his father Ryan Gravenberch senior is adamant the player has already improved since signing for the club – and owes it all to former Liverpool boss Klopp.

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“He was brought in by Bayern with an eye to the future and they saw his qualities,” he told ESPN. “Bayern still had a lot of faith in him and that’s why they sold his skin very expensive. Fortunately, everything turned out well on the last day.”

He then went on to talk about the impact Klopp has had on him since arriving on Merseyside, where he added: “Jürgen Klopp has had more feelings and personal interest than Nagelsmann and Tuchel put together.

“That immediately gave Ryan a really good feeling in the first few conversations. Despite his extremely busy schedule and all the things Klopp has to take into account in his work, he continued to invest a lot of time and personal interest in Ryan.

“Klopp was very good with Ryan. He was helpful and nice, but on the other hand he could also be harsh and sometimes benched Ryan in important games. That’s right, he plays in the world top.

“I think it’s at least 50 percent better now than it was then. He became even stronger and fitter. The pace at which Liverpool play is not quite normal. Everything goes much faster and that has been very good for him. Ryan always has to give something extra at Liverpool and that has made him a much better player.”

However, he added that he believes new manager Slot will suit his son even better than his predecessor. He added: “I don’t think he’s spoken to Slot yet but Ryan is happy he’s coming.

“Although he enjoyed playing under Klopp, Slot’s style of play suits Ryan a bit better. Slot plays more like Manchester City and Arsenal. Under Klopp, Liverpool played more directly. The slot game suits Ryan better from Ajax training.”

Liverpool.com says: New Liverpool boss Arne Slot is also known for his fast-paced, pressing style of football, which could see Gravenberch feature more prominently in the starting line-up next season.