Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's fourth goal with teammate Ryan Gravenberch during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Anfield on April 27, 2025 in Liverpool, England.Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's fourth goal with teammate Ryan Gravenberch during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Anfield on April 27, 2025 in Liverpool, England.
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's fourth goal with teammate Ryan Gravenberch during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Anfield on April 27, 2025 in Liverpool, England. | Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Three Liverpool players have been nominated for the Premier League Player of the Season award
Three Liverpool players have been nominated for the Premier League Player of the Season award - including defensive midfielder Ryan Gravenberch.
The Dutchman has enjoyed an outstanding second campaign at Anfield, and his performances at No 6 have had a huge impact on the Reds’ successful title challenge. He is also up for the Premier League Young Player of the Season award in a double nomination.
Alexis Mac Allister was used as a defensive midfielder in his first season but Arne Slot opted to move Gravenberch into the role this term and allow Mac Allister to play slightly further forward. The change has benefitted both players but it is Gravenberch who has been nominated for the player of the season award alongside teammates Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.
Nottingham Forest pair Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood are included alongside, Newcastle United's Alexander Isak, Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo and Arsenal star Declan Rice.
Gravenberch nomination fully deserved after outperforming Rice and Caicedo
Gravenberch’s stunning performances are shown in the stats. He has made 57 interceptions this season - 11 more than any other midfielder in the Premier League. When including all positions, only one player has made more interceptions in the entire division (West Ham’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka with 61).
His 57 interceptions are also more than double what Manchester City star Rodri made last campaign. The Spaniard has been injured for most of the current season. Meanwhile, only four midfielders have made more clearances than Gravenberch.
The Reds midfielder has outperformed Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo in both of those departments. Caicedo has made more tackles than Gravenberch this season but the Liverpool man has only seen 10 players better his tally on that front.
Gravenberch has done everything asked of him by Slot in the defensive midfield role and has played a major role in the club’s second Premier League title in five years. His nomination for Premier League Player of the Season is richly deserved.
Ryan Gravenberch opens up on Arne Slot pre-season Liverpool phone-call
Speaking about his transition into a deeper role, Gravenberch said in October: “After the Euros he [Arne Slot] called me and said he wanted to give me a chance – then he said, ‘I want you to focus on the No 8 but I also want to see you in the No 6’. My reaction was really good… it doesn't really matter where you play as long as you play.”
On the reason for the change, Slot said: “I spoke to most of the players, maybe to all of them, in their summer break. And one of the things Alexis said to me – and I also felt the same about it – is that he has no problem playing as a No 6, he did quite well the season before, but he prefers to play with a No 6 behind him. And I think that gets the best out of him. That’s also why we were interested in signing a No 6.”
He continued: “Ryan came back one or two days earlier and that way he could play the Manchester United game [in pre-season] in that position and I immediately liked it because he was so comfortable on the ball. If you watch this game back, there is one moment where we played the ball towards him and there was someone who tried to press him and he just used his body, and the player that pressed him didn’t see him back for a few seconds. I immediately felt that would be a good asset to have.”
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