Ryan Gravenberch showed what a fine midfielder he can become for Liverpool after dazzling in win over Fulham… despite a difficult first year, the Dutchman can have a big future at Anfield, writes LEWIS STEELE

Liverpool saw something in Ryan Gravenberch that Bayern Munich didn’t. After following the Dutchman for several seasons, since before his failed spell in Bavaria, the Reds knew that he could be a fundamental member of their midfield.

Unfortunately for Liverpool fans, they haven’t had much of an idea why the recruitment team thought he would be a star player. Apart from a few flashes here and there, it has been a difficult first year in England for Gravenberch.

But Sunday’s performance against Fulham showed an example of what a good midfielder he can be, and could be if given the chance to shine. He scored an important goal, Liverpool’s first from open play after four games without playing one, with a curling side-footed shot.

Aside from that, the 21-year-old put in a solid performance, perhaps his best in a league game for the Reds. He had some shaky touches early on and seemed a meter off the pace, but he gained confidence and began to dictate proceedings from midfield.

Gravenberch appeared in dangerous areas (a number 8 on the team sheet, but his touch map showed that he was a versatile midfielder with positive moments all over the field) and made a solid defensive movement without the ball.

The 21-year-old produced a magnificent finish to put the Reds ahead in the second half on Sunday.

It’s not a huge snub to say he hasn’t hit the ground running as he would have liked in his first season on Merseyside. Some of the league’s best midfielders, such as Bernardo Silva and Martin Odegaard, had slow starts in their first seasons at Manchester City and Arsenal, respectively.

But with this his 34th appearance for Liverpool, Gravenberch has now equaled the number of games he played for Bayern Munich in two seasons in which he barely made an impression under various managers after moving from Ajax as a teenager. .

In an interview earlier this season, the midfielder said he used to admire the great Zinedine Zidane and, while direct comparisons with the Real Madrid and France legend would be a stretch, Gravenberch glides around the pitch with a balletic style that few can match. equalize.

The £34.3m summer signing was also somewhat disadvantaged by the fact that he did not spend pre-season with Liverpool and only joined the club on deadline day, with Bayern wanting to buy a replacement before sanctioning his departure.

But this performance gave Reds fans hope that he could play a major role in the revamped team under a new manager when Jurgen Klopp leaves in the summer. His first Premier League goal was only his fourth for the club and more involvement in the penalty area will be needed.

His goal, assisted by Harvey Elliott, was the first time Liverpool had a Premier League goal scored and assisted by players aged 21 or under since November 2014 against Chelsea (Emre Can assisted by Raheem Sterling). It shows the depth of young talent the team has.

Cody Gakpo also put in his best performance in some time against the Cottagers.

Gravenberch’s performance was just one highlight in a team performance that was much better, more patient and clinical than the draw against Manchester United, the defeat against Crystal Palace and the disappointing two-leg elimination from the Europa League at the hands of of Atalanta.

Cody Gakpo also put in his best performance for some time and continually caused problems for the Fulham defence, while full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson were not far from their peak after both missed recent matches through injury.

But Gravenberch showed he can be the Flying Dutchman Liverpool fans were hoping to buy in the summer. With a dose of Dutch courage (or, in football terms, getting a vote of confidence by having a run in the XI), the 21-year-old can have a big future at Anfield.