Liverpool is still fighting for four trophies this season under Arne Slot with the Reds having cruised into the Carabao Cup final this week. Top of the Premier League and into the Champions League last-16, things could not really be going much better.

Recently, Gary Lineker paid a visit to the AXA Training Centre where he was given a tour of the facilities. He interviewed Slot and then played padel with the Liverpool boss, where the pair seemed to get along well.

Now, Lineker has revealed the player who even Slot admitted has been a surprise to him this year. Ryan Gravenberch, moved back into a number six role, has been a revelation.

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"Those two [Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai] have been terrific this season," Lineker said on the Rest Is Football podcast. "I think probably Gravenberch has been one of the surprises of the season.

"Even Slot said he was surprised how good he was when he came in, when I spoke to him in the interview a couple of weeks ago. He’s been superb, as has Szoboszlai, both dangerous players."

Gravenberch was superb against Spurs midweek while Szoboszlai has kicked onto another level in recent matches. He found the back of the net against Tottenham again, having done so at the back end of 2024 too, and has been running the show for his side lately.

"After the Euros, he called me and said he wanted to give me a chance — then he said, "I want you to focus on the No.8 but I also want to see you in the No.6",' Gravenberch told the Daily Mail in October. "My reaction was really good… it doesn't really matter where you play as long as you play.

"When I came here, in my mind... the coach (Jurgen Klopp) didn't say to me, "OK, you will get a starting XI position" — so it was already in my head that I would get my chances, that my time would come."

Liverpool.com says: Gravenberch has played so well for such a sustained period of time that it has just become normal and expected now. Things could have been very different had Martin Zubimendi arrived in the summer but Liverpool got a bit of luck with that in the end. Now, Gravenberch has his place firmly nailed down.