Ryan Gravenberch arrived in Bavaria in the summer of 2022 as the ballyhooed midfield wonderkid of a highly promising transfer group for Bayern Munich.
None of them made it and not all of them are thriving. But Gravenberch, 23, is in dreamland. The Ajax academy product is coming off a stellar season for Liverpool, starting 37 Premier League games in Arne Slot’s title-winning debut season as manager. Even as the Reds have completely remade their attack, Gravenberch looks like one of the key men to hold
it all together in central midfield.
Hard to imagine just a couple seasons ago.
“I was going crazy in my head,” Gravenberch reflected of his time in Munich, in comments captured by British tabloid Mirror.
Bayern won the title that lone season Gravenberch was there, in what would be the last in a string of 11 consecutive Bundesliga triumphs for the German record champions. But playing a bit role was hard on the new arrival.
“was happy we were champions, but my contribution was small. I know we stood there as champions but I did not feel like a champion at all. It was a totally different feeling from all the other times I won trophies,” Gravenberch added. “Under [then-head coach Julian] Nagelsmann, I would go three matches in a row spending 90 minutes watching my team. That is when I started to go crazy in my head. In the winter I was totally done with it. During the last two months of the season under [Thomas] Tuchel, I got more minutes than in the entire period before.
“I remember how I felt at Bayern, but I know I have managed to climb out of that low. And that is what I am proud of.”
Thankfully for Gravenberch, he had his parents to help him during those low periods. The Mirror article goes on to relay comments from his father, to the Dutch magazine Helden.
“The football world is hard,” Gravenberch Sr. said. “And people in that world are too. A lot was said about him, but people forgot this was a young boy of 21. The whole Bayern Munich adventure never worked out like he expected. He was working really hard, but he was never given a chance to shine.
“At that time, we could not dream that he would get a transfer to Liverpool and that Arne Slot would become his coach. When I look at what has happened to him with Slot and Liverpool I have to say in all honesty that he has gone from hell to heaven!”
Sometimes, a change of environment is all it takes. For Gravenberch, his move from Germany to England seems to have gone splendidly.
