Ryan Gravenberch says it was Jurgen Klopp's determination to sign him that convinced him to leave Bayern Munich for Liverpool on transfer deadline day.
The Netherlands international has revealed how he has tried to model his game on France and Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane since he broke into the Ajax team as a teenager.
Despite the last-gasp nature of his deadline day move, Gravenberch had been a long-standing target for Liverpool with the club meeting with the player's representatives earlier this year
Gravenberch has detailed how Klopp's keenness to bring him into the fold at Anfield let him know it was the right time to move away after a year at Bayern
Gravenberch
"Before I came in, I spoke with the coach and he gave me a good feeling,"
"He said to me: 'Yes, I want you'. And he gave me his plans and explained everything. He gave me such a good feeling that my decision was a fast one.
"Of course, I spoke a little bit with Virgil (van Dijk) too and he said that Liverpool was a top club and that I was going to play, for sure.
"So he said those sorts of things to me and that also gave me a good feeling to come here.
"I don't think there was one particular player I was looking forward to playing with here at Liverpool but rather the whole team because I played against them with Bayern in pre-season in Singapore and they are a really good team
"The club also added some excellent signings in the summer and also I think it's not just about one big, big player.
"I think the whole team is good and that's why I trust the whole team.
"My decision [to wear] the No.38 jersey was because I made my debut at Ajax in the 38 and when I went to Bayern Munich I chose that number again because I felt I had something special because I had made my debut for Ajax with it.
"I think I will keep wearing 38 all my life, so 38 is definitely my favourite number.
"Scoring against Union SG in the last [European] home game was an incredible moment for me.
"Like I said after the game it might have been the easiest goal of my career but that didn't matter.
"The fans have given me such great support since I arrived here and it has been great that they have given me such a good feeling so I want to give them something back."
Gravenberch added:
"When I was young I looked up to the bigger players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. But when I was getting older, at 17 or 18, I was watching clips of Zinedine Zidane.
"If I had to choose one player who I have been influenced by in terms of my game, it would be Zidane."
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