'Sadio Mane advised me about Liverpool transfer – I had to join after what he said'

Midfielder Ryan Gravenberch joined Liverpool 2 years agone and has revealed that Reds icon Sadio Mane played a pivotal relation successful convincing him to marque the determination to Merseyside from Munich

Ryan Gravenberch has admitted that erstwhile Liverpool prima Sadio Mane helped person him to ditch Bayern Munich for a determination to Anfield successful 2023.

The Dutch prima had joined the German giants from Ajax successful the aforesaid summertime arsenic Mane, who called it a time astatine Anfield successful 2022. And, contempt helping Bayern clinch the Bundesliga title, some players recovered their game clip limited and they each lone spent 1 play successful Germany, having played unneurotic conscionable 19 times.

Gravenberch only started six retired of his 34 appearances for Bayern earlier helium was snapped up by Liverpool successful a woody perchance worthy £40million on transportation deadline day successful the summertime of 2023. On the different hand, Mane made 38 appearances, netting 12 goals and providing six assists, but was deemed surplus to requirements aft present England manager Thomas Tuchel took over.

The Senegalese prima subsequently moved to Saudi Pro League broadside Al-Nassr successful a £24m deal, but earlier helium departed, Gravenberch has shed airy connected the pivotal relation Mane played successful his determination to the Reds and the hopeless times faced successful the Bundesliga.

"Sadio is simply a truly bully guy, a truly bully guy," helium shared with LFC TV successful the latest occurrence of their 'A Day With' series. "When I was successful Munich, I asked him besides astir Liverpool. If it was a bully measurement for me, however the nine was and everything. He said a batch of bully things truthful successful my caput I was like, 'I person to go, I person to go!'"

The Dutchman besides touched connected his interactions with erstwhile Reds brag Jurgen Klopp and however the German ensured that his crippled clip would beryllium vastly improved by leaving Munich.

"I spoke astatine the clip with Klopp, the gaffer, and helium told maine my chances would travel for sure. 'You volition get your minutes, you volition get your chances, but past you person to amusement maine if you are acceptable for it'. That was ever successful the backmost of my head. My lone absorption was, 'I person to amusement the Ryan Gravenberch again'."

Gravenberch further discussed however helium struggled to accommodate to beingness successful Germany, adding: "I was calved and grew up successful Amsterdam, truthful I knew everything. I knew everybody. I went to a antithetic country, a antithetic city, wherever I didn't cognize anybody oregon anything.

"It was hard but it was besides bully to spell retired of my comfortableness zone. Ajax is simply a truly large nine but I deliberation if you privation to scope the top, top, you person to spell to England, Spain oregon Germany to scope your afloat potential.

"I didn't play a batch astatine that clip (at Bayern Munich). I came from Ajax wherever I played everything. I was astatine the apical of the radical and past went to specified a large nine similar Bayern Munich and saw different players who are truly bully and truly big. You privation to besides play determination but I didn't play a lot. It was a spot difficult, but I had my parents, I had a batch of conversations with them, and they kept maine calm.

"(I learned to) ever beryllium ready. If you don't play a lot, erstwhile you past person to travel in, it's truly hard due to the fact that I didn't for similar 4 oregon 5 games and past I'd travel successful for 20 minutes. I'd person to past amusement myself, but I hadn't played for a agelong time."

Under caller caput manager Arne Slot, Gravenberch has go a pivotal anchor successful beforehand of a comparatively coagulated Reds defence and is present a first-team regular for the league leaders, reports the Liverpool Echo.

"I didn't play a batch and I didn't privation to person different twelvemonth similar this," helium admitted. "I knew I had to amusement myself. Sometimes you person to accommodate to caller club, caller country, everything is new. Now I consciousness comfortable. I privation to triumph titles with Liverpool. For definite the Premier League! I deliberation that's the happening we person to execute this season."

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