Former Premier League star Rafael van der Vaart was highly impressed by one Liverpool star during the Netherlands’ clash against Germany.
On Tuesday night, Ronald Koeman’s men took on the Germans at the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam in the UEFA Nations League.
The pair played out an entertaining 2-2 draw with Tijani Reijnders, Deniz Undav, Joshua Kimmich and Denzel Dumfries all on the scoresheet.
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During the match, one moment left former Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Van der Vaart hugely impressed.
With 20 minutes on the clock, Liverpool star Ryan Gravenberch played a stunning volleyed pass right into the path of Xavi Simons.
However, the RB Leipzig man failed to finish as his shot was easily saved by Germany goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Speaking about Gravenberch’s performance, Van der Vaart said: “He was the star player. When he gave that ball to Xavi Simons, I wanted to go home with that pass, it doesn’t get any better. This is the most difficult ball in football, it was perfectly tailored.
“We got a fantastic midfielder for our country. Arne Slot brought him back to his highest level and his potential is fully coming out. The first 60 minutes he was by far the best player on the pitch.”
Gravenberch himself was also pleased with his performance, he said: “Oh man, that pass was perfect. I saw Xavi Simons running and thought to myself: 'okay if it goes well it goes well, if it goes wrong it goes wrong', it landed perfectly”
New Liverpool boss Arne Slot has used Gravenberch in the number six position and the 22-year-old has impressed so far this season.
Speaking about his upturn in form, Gravenberch said: “I just feel good in my skin, to be honest. But does that have a reason? Yeah, things are going well at the club. I'm just doing my thing, and it's working out well now.
“He [Slot] gives me confidence now. He just lets me start in the lineup. It's going pretty well. As a player, you obviously want to get minutes. For me, that confidence is part of it. With that confidence, I feel more comfortable, and with the minutes, it keeps getting better.”
Liverpool will be back in Premier League action this weekend when they welcome Nottingham Forest in Anfield.
Topics: Rafael van der Vaart, Liverpool, Ryan Gravenberch, Germany, Netherlands, UEFA Nations League, Football
Marcus Chan