Gini Wijnaldum has claimed new Liverpool boss Arne Slot “is at the same level” on the training pitch as Jurgen Klopp and Jose Mourinho.
Despite playing for Steven Gerrard‘s Al-Ettifaq, Wijnaldum is heading to Euro 2024 as part of a strong Netherlands squad that features three Liverpool players.
According to the ex-Reds midfielder, the trio of Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch are in for a great time under Slot.
The 33-year-old told Algemeen Dagblad he thinks “Liverpool have really acquired a great successor.”
Slot is a relatively unknown entity outside of Holland, but Liverpool’s search for a new manager brought them to Feyenoord’s door due to the manager’s style of play and ability to develop individuals.
“The fact that they don’t all know Slot inside out in England is not a problem at all,” Wijnaldum added.
“When I went from PSV to Newcastle United, I had become Dutch champion. I was already playing in the Dutch national team and we were playing European football, but I didn’t think they said anything there.”
“The Premier League is so big and so good, they don’t really look at other countries. It is a bit comparable to what I am experiencing now with the step to playing football outside Europe. People just don’t care that much.”
Last summer, the then 32-year-old joined Al-Ettifaq to play under Gerrard in Saudi Arabia and played 31 matches this season, scoring seven goals.
Wijnaldum then explained how he knows Slot will be a good fit for the Reds, saying: “At the beginning of this season I trained for a few days at Feyenoord and there I saw how Slot worked.
“That was of a very high level, I thought it was really great. I can compare it with Klopp and Mourinho and then I say that Slot is at the same level.
“Yes, he now comes into a completely different world, that’s just true, but that doesn’t mean he can’t do there what he did at Feyenoord.”
It is high praise from a man who was integral to Liverpool winning the Premier League and Champions League under Klopp.
Wijnaldum started alongside Gravenberch in the Netherlands’ last friendly, a 4-0 win over Canada, but both could be displaced come their Euro 2024 opener against Poland.
We could get a better idea of who will start for the Dutch when Ronald Koeman picks his team for their final friendly, against Iceland on Monday.
For the tournament, the Netherlands are in a Group D with Poland, France and Austria.