RYAN GRAVENBERCH REFLECTS ON LIVERPOOL'S PREMIER LEAGUE-WINNING SEASON WHEN SPEAKING AS AN AMBASSADOR OF THE CRUYFF FOUNDATION AT THE OPENING OF A CRUYFF COURT IN ANFIELD 17:00, 23 May

2025 Ryan Gravenberch might have only celebrated his 23rd birthday earlier this month, but he has, rather impressively, already won five domestic titles in senior career. A three-time

Eredivisie winner with Ajax, he also won the Bundesliga title in his sole season with Bayern Munich prior to his move to Liverpool in the summer of 2023. While the Reds missed out on the

Premier League last year in his maiden campaign with the club, ultimately stumbling on the final straight in the title-race, that has proven to be the only blemish for the now Premier

into Liverpool side But winning the Premier League with Liverpool will hit home a little differently, having played a pivotal role in Arne Slot’s side being crowned champions of England and

belatedly shone outside of his homeland. A star player under his compatriot, the Netherlands international has started all but one of Liverpool’s league matches to date in their

title-winning campaign. It comes in total contrast to his last league title with Bayern, where he endured a frustrating year and started just three times in the Bundesliga. Article continues

below Having also been limited to a sporadic role under Jurgen Klopp last year, the fact that he is the favourite to win the Premier League Young Player of the Year award only reiterates

just how impressive the 23-year-old’s turnaround in fortunes at Anfield has been. Gravenberch himself admits he never foresaw the transformation coming. “Personally, I feel that if you had

said this to me before the start of the season I wouldn't have believed you,” he admitted to reporters including the ECHO after the opening of his own Cruyff Court in Anfield. “But

everything we dreamed of came true. I'm really happy.” More is still to come, of course. While Anfield enjoyed a day it will never forget when Liverpool thrashed Tottenham Hotspur 5-1

to clinch the title last month, they have been made to wait to get their hands on the Premier League trophy. The presentation will follow Sunday’s final game of the season at home to Crystal

Palace, as Slot’s side become the first Reds side to hold aloft the trophy in front of supporters for 35 years. Then on Bank Holiday Monday, Liverpool will embark on an open-top bus parade

through the city to celebrate their latest triumph. Gravenberch cannot wait. Having been left mesmerised by Anfield after beating Spurs, his excitement for the parade has only grown after

being shown videos Virgil van Dijk recorded on his phone when showing off the European Cup around Liverpool back in 2019. “Oh, it was amazing (after beating Spurs),” he admitted. “I think

I've never heard Anfield as loud as this. I think for everyone it was amazing, to secure the title, I saw only happy faces in the stadium. “100 per cent (I’m excited for the

presentation and parade). I saw some clips from Virg when they had the parade for the Champions League. “And there were so many people, so I'm so excited about what's happening

now. Imagine!” While it has been a season to remember for Gravenberch and for Liverpool, one thing in particular has irked him - and it is something he hopes to put right against Crystal

Palace. The Dutchman has failed to score so far this season, with his last goal coming away at Fulham 13 months ago. Inevitably, he would like to break his drought against the Eagles - even

if he might not be able to rely on any favours from Mohamed Salah should the Reds win a penalty! “Yes (it annoys me),” he admitted. “Hopefully (I’m on free-kicks), maybe a penalty. “I had a

conversation with Dominik the other day before we played against Brighton. We were in the warm-up, you know, and I had some good finishes. “He said, ‘I have a feeling you will score today’.

I said, ‘hopefully, I have to score one’. So hopefully against Crystal Palace I can score.” CELEBRATE LIVERPOOL'S PREMIER LEAGUE TROPHY LIFT AND ICONIC PARADE WITH PERFECT SOUVENIR This

Liverpool ECHO special edition looks back at a remarkable season, but is packed full of images from both the trophy lift at Anfield and the parade through the streets of the city. There are

features, reaction from players and staff, analysis of how the title was won as well as player ratings and a focus on the boss himself - Arne! CLICK THE LINK HERE TO BUY ONLINE AND HAVE IT

DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO YOUR DOOR, OR YOU CAN PURCHASE IT IN PARTICIPATING SUPERMARKETS, HIGH STREET RETAILERS, AND INDEPENDENT NEWSAGENTS FROM MAY 29, 2025. ONLINE POSTAGE AND PACKAGING COSTS

APPLY. AND MAKE SURE YOU BUY YOUR BUMPER EDITION OF THE ECHO ON MONDAY MAY 26 AND TUESDAY MAY 27. YOU CAN ALSO BUY THEM ONLINE HERE. POSTAGE AND PACKAGE COSTS APPLY. You can also buy our

48-page keepsake from when Liverpool confirmed the title with victory over Spurs HERE! And you can also order a copy of Monday's Liverpool ECHO celebrating Liverpool's triumph

direct to your home on our online store. Also available is the Liverpool FC CHAMP20NS: Premier League winners 24/25, with a double sided poster. Pre-order here:

https://reachsportshop.com/special_edition/liverpool-fc-champ20ns-premier-league-winners-24-25/ Admittedly, a change of position has not helped Gravenberch on the scoring front, having been

revolutionised as holding midfielder by Slot this season. It is well-documented that the Dutchman had limited experience in the position prior to the switch last summer. And while he has had

to learn on the job, he has been a thriving success at the heart of Liverpool’s title-winning triumph. While he might be a little aggrieved to have not scored this season, Gravenberch now

very much considers himself a number six - and is confident he can keep on improving in the role. “Yeah, I think it's just a position (why I haven’t scored), because if the other two

midfielders go, I can't go,” he said. “So I have to say, I'm not often in the 18-yard box, but maybe against Crystal Palace, we will see. “Yes, (it feels like my position now) to

be honest. Obviously I didn't play a lot in that position before but this season that position has made me who I am now. I am really looking forward to playing there now. “Last season I

didn't play a lot so I didn't recover really well. Maybe I wasn't really that professional about it. “But this season I've played a lot more and focused more on

recovery. For example, going to the sauna, going to the ice baths properly, Virgil was a big part of that in terms of giving me advice. “I am not naturally a defensive midfielder. I also

like to drive forward with the ball. It's been good so far. “It was not easy to be honest! It might have looked it but it was not easy. A lot of work, not only me, also the coach and

the other players on the pitch. For example, Virgil, who helped me a lot to adapt to this role. “(I had to learn) more the defensive part was maybe where there was a question mark. The

attacking part was good but the defending part I had to learn in terms of the duels, sometimes not watching my man properly, but I think I made a lot of steps with that as well. “Everything

was also new for the opponents. Afterwards, they knew how we played and then we had to try to find solutions. “In the first half of the season everything went a little bit through me. After,

for example, they target me but then the other midfielders become free so then pass to them and then to me. “It was a little bit difficult also for me because you don't then get the

ball as much as other team-mates get it instead. “I can improve in terms of goals and assists from that position. Also in terms of demanding the ball more during a game. “Sometimes in a game

there's like five minutes where I don't touch the ball. In that position you have to make the play happen." Liverpool's Premier League champions range This article

contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more from £4 Liverpool FC Shop the collection here Liverpool FC has launched its Premier League

champions range after winning its 20th league title. Fans can pick up items including the 24/25 Home Stadium Jersey with 'Champions 20' printing or 'Champions 24/25'

today. Considering Liverpool tried to sign Martin Zubimendi last summer, only to see the Spaniard U-turn at the 11th hour and opt to stay put at Real Sociedad, things could have been rather

different for Gravenberch had the pursuit ended differently. Missing out on Zubimendi ultimately prompted a re-think from Slot. And after one phone call with Gravenberch, they wasted no time

to put the Reds’ new midfield plan into action. “It was just during a phone call in the first conversation I had with him (Slot),” Gravenberch recalled when reflecting on the start of his

positional transformation. “He said to me: 'I see you as a number eight but I want to try you as a number six.' “From that moment on, I only played as a number six. I just think

after the game against Man United in the pre-season, after that game, he just put me there and I was like, ‘OK, let's do it.’ “From that moment, I just only played there. Not only Arne,

but also his assistants helped me a lot to play that position. “(John Heitinga has been) a really big help. At the club you have mentors and he is my mentor. I knew him from my time at Ajax

so he also knew me well. I watched clips with him, I had conversations with him about the position.” Gravenberch was part of an £150m midfield revamp when signed in the same summer as

Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo, with the quartet having now won silverware in each of their first two seasons at Liverpool. Yet it has only been this year where the

Reds have truly been able to enjoy the fruits of such labour, after the Dutchman established himself at number six in a midfield trio alongside the Argentine and Hungarian. And with their

peak years still ahead of all three, Gravenberch is confident the best is still to come as he looks to maintain his extraordinary title-winning run. “Oh, yeah, yeah, hopefully (this is the

start of something special). This is the first season that we did a good job,” he said. “To arrive there is easier than to stay there, so we will see hopefully we can win more trophies

together. “Also for us, we can improve in our playing style, maybe at the end a little bit too static, and also in the midfield we can change. “For example, if I play with Mac Allister, he

can come on my position and I go higher, so that would be difficult to press us, and I think that's a really good part that we can improve on.” Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes

have already started looking to improve the Liverpool squad ahead of next season as they look to build on this year’s success. The Reds are working on a deal to sign Jeremie Frimpong from

Bayer Leverkusen as a replacement for the departing Trent Alexander-Arnold, while they have also made contact with the full-back’s team-mate, Florian Wirtz. Meanwhile, they are interested in

recruiting Milos Kerkez at left-back. With an already strong Dutch influence at Liverpool having a knock-on effect back in his homeland, a coy Gravenberch is hopeful that the Reds can

finalise a deal for Frimpong. “Yeah, 100 per cent. Everyone in Holland, I think if you look to England, they support Liverpool because of us,” Gravenberch chuckled. “I don't know (if

anymore Dutch players will sign),” he said, alluding to Frimpong. “We will see, hopefully!” Meanwhile, at the same event, he told Sky Sports: "If he (Frimpong) does (sign), he will

bring a lot. “I know him also from the Dutch team and he is a really good guy. Really good qualities so we will see, we have to wait." While Liverpool supporters will have to wait and

see for official confirmation of Frimpong’s arrival, they have already had to be patient with Gravenberch. A remarkable campaign has finished with the Dutchman establishing himself as one of

the Reds’ star players while, on Sunday, he will don a Premier League winner’s medal around his neck. And his connection to the city of Liverpool has been cemented further by the opening of

‘Cruyff Court Ryan Gravenberch’ in Anfield. Article continues below “Honoured to open my own Cruyff Court in Liverpool! A space where every child can shine, that’s what it’s all about,” he

wrote on social media following its unveiling. Having himself shone on the Anfield pitch throughout the season, for Gravenberch, his eye-catching campaign culminating in becoming a Premier

League champion is only the beginning. RYAN GRAVENBERCH WAS SPEAKING AS AN AMBASSADOR OF THE CRUYFF FOUNDATION AT THE OPENING OF A CRUYFF COURT IN ANFIELD.