Experienced midfielders such as James Milner, Jordan Henderson, and Fabinho left the team, and Liverpool acquired new players Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Wataru Endo, and also welcomed Ryan Gravenberch into the team just in time for the transfer deadline.
Despite his young age at Ajax, he played many games in the Eredivisie and Champions League and was regarded as a promising young midfielder in the Netherlands.
Even then, he stepped up to Bayern Munich amidst rumors of interest from Liverpool, but struggled to find playing time in the Bundesliga.
The 21-year-old midfielder, who has moved to a club that can better utilize his strengths, mentioned the differences between the Dutch and German leagues he has played in and English soccer, and expressed his enthusiasm about having to adapt.
“I think in England it’s more physical and the intensity is also a lot higher than where I came from,”
“Also for me, like against Leicester City, they are a Championship team but of course they came from the Premier League, and you see the intensity that they are playing with. That’s the thing to adapt to, so we are working on it.”
“Especially for me, last season I didn’t play so much so that’s the thing that I have to adapt with.”
Liverpoolfc.com
Since joining Liverpool, he has started in the Premier League against Wolves and West Ham. After starting in the Europa League against LASK, the Dutch U-21 midfielder made his first start at Anfield in the Carabao Cup third round match against Leicester City.
He stood on the pitch as a Liverpool player in a packed Anfield and heard a chorus of “You’ll Never Walk Alone”. The player, who cannot hide his excitement, has candidly revealed that it makes him feel good.
“When I walked outside, you hear the You’ll Never Walk Alone song and it feels special, you know, when you go on the pitch. It’s such a good feeling to go into the game. It’s special to be here and it gave me a good feeling as well,”
Liverpoolfc.com