“He said a lot of good things. So, in my head I was like, ‘I have to go!'” - Liverpool star reveals role Sadio Mane played in his move to club

Liverpool star Ryan Gravenberch has opened up on the role former Reds winger Sadio Mane played in his transfer to the club in 2023. The Dutch midfielder revealed that the Sengalese told him good things about the club which convinced him to join the Merseyside outfit.

Gravenberch joined the club from Bayern Munich on the deadline day of the 2023 summer transfer window. The 22-year-old had signed for the Bundesliga giants a season before, joining from boyhood club Ajax. However, a lack of constant playing time at the Allianz Arena saw him scouring for regular football elsewhere.

During his one-season stay with Bayern, Gravenberch shared the dressing room with Mane, who joined the Bavarian club the same time he did (2022-23). Both players went on to exit the club the following season, with the Dutchman joining Liverpool, while the Senegalese moved to Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr.

In a recent episode of Liverpool's 'A Day With', the former Ajax star talked about his exit from Bayern and Sadio Mane's role in his move to Anfield.

"Sadio is a really nice guy. When I was in Munich, I asked him also about Liverpool, if it’s like a good step for me and how the club was and everything. He said a lot of good things. So, in my head I was like, ‘I have to go!" Gravenberch said (via This is Anfield).

Gravenberch and Mane played together 20 times for Bayern Munich but recorded no joint-goal contribution. The former has since established himself as a vital player for the Reds, racking up four goals and four assists in 69 appearances.

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Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch names his football idol

Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch named former France international Zinedine Zidane as his footballing idol. The Dutch international disclosed that his father introduced him to the football great.

He said in a recent interview with LFCTV:

"Neymar, [Lionel] Messi, and all these footballers were on TV, you know? And then my dad said one time to me: 'You have to watch, on YouTube, you have to watch Zinedine Zidane and then you're going to see real football'. And then I went to YouTube and watched all these clips of Zinedine Zidane. I was like: 'Nah, from now on...' The technique, the composure, just everything, [it's something I like]."

After a slow debut 2023-24 season in England, Gravenberch has earned a starting role under new manger Arne Slot. He has started in 30 of the side's 31 matches across the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.