Ryan Gravenberch ‘listened to his dad’ and Liverpool are reaping the benefits this season | OneFootball

Ryan Gravenberch has quietly nudged his way into the top four of Liverpool’s goalscoring leaderboard so far this season.

The Dutchman made an immediate impact upon returning from injury in the 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday night, doubling the Reds’ lead in the 58th minute for his third goal of the campaign so far, having not scored in 49 appearances in the whole of 2024/25.

He needs just one more to match his tally from his first season at Anfield, and he’s attributed his improved output in the final third to some advice from his father.

Gravenberch told by his dad to ‘shoot more’

Gravenberch faced the media on Monday afternoon ahead of Liverpool’s match against Real Madrid tomorrow night, and he was asked to explain the new-found goalscoring touch.

The 23-year-old replied (via liverpoolfc.com): “I think I listened to my dad more this season! He always says to me, ‘You have to shoot more, shoot more.’ This season, you see what happens! Also in the game on Saturday against Villa, I shot and it got deflected, so I have to shoot more. That’s it, basically.

“He has watched every game. Obviously I have so many conversations with him about what I can do better and everything. I listen to him a lot, and also this season.”

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Gravenberch has made the most of his new-found ‘freedom’

Gravenberch was outstanding in Liverpool’s 2024/25 Premier League title triumph, although he’ll have been disappointed not to have scored despite being of the Reds’ most-used players.

The Dutchman spoke in September of the ‘freedom’ he’s been granted by Arne Slot this season compared to last, and the head coach’s decision to let him off the leash has reaped dividends for the champions.

As the table below illustrates (using figures from FBref), the 23-year-old has taken full advantage of the greater licence to get forward and influence proceedings further up the pitch.

After Gravenberch netted in the Merseyside derby in September, Virgil van Dijk said that his compatriot has been ‘in the form of his life‘, which is quite the compliment when you consider how brilliant the midfielder was for Liverpool last season.

The 23-year-old has worked under numerous coaches, including two Premier League-winning bosses in Jurgen Klopp and Slot, but the evidence is there to show that some of the best advice he’s received is from his dad!