Liverpool supporters and Jurgen Klopp have a lot to thank Georginio Wijnaldum's nan for.
The Reds' 2019/20 title winning side were a team built on unwavering consistency, as Jurgen Klopp's side won 26 of their first 27 Premier League matches in a display of unrelenting reliability. Winning was all they knew how to do.
Knitting everything together for Liverpool, a figure of consistency in a team moulded on dependability, the man for the biggest moments, was Wijnaldum.
What does it ???????? mean when someone is called world class?
— 90min (@90min_Football) December 14, 2020
Well, we've had a go at defining it. So. ??????? ?? ????? ????? ?#W2WC pic.twitter.com/xTkAx9CxG1
The midfielder missed just one Premier League game en route to the Reds' record breaking title triumph - but football was not his first love. It was not even his first sporting passion.
Growing up in Rotterdam's Schiemond neighbourhood, an area once renowned for delinquency, unemployment and poverty, Wijnaldum harboured dreams of becoming a gymnast.
However, his grandma deemed the sport - backflips and all - too dangerous. He was forced to stop and football became the number one focus. It's not been a bad backup plan.
Wijnaldum completed his youth career in the Feyenoord academy, making his senior debut aged 16 years and 148 days. He was still at school, and became the youngest player in the club's history.
It’s been a good year ?? Which one’s your favourite? ? pic.twitter.com/klgYVuAzMO
— Gini Wijnaldum (@GWijnaldum) July 25, 2020
"Now my daughter is doing gymnastics and I’m a little bit jealous of her because she is doing all the things I wanted to do when I was young."Georginio Wijnaldum
He moved to PSV in 2011 in a €5m deal and was named club captain two years later - at the age of just 22. The following season, he captained PSV to their first Eredivisie title in seven years.
This prompted Newcastle to come calling, and in the summer of 2015 he moved to the north east for £14.5m. In the grand scheme of football transfers, it does not seem like a blockbuster signing, but this was the most Mike Ashley had ever spent on a player (costing the equivalent of 14.5m giant Sports Direct mugs).
Wijnaldum blew hot and cold for Newcastle as they suffered the drop - but finished as the club's top scorer with 11 goals, including one in a player of the match performance during his side's 2-0 win over Liverpool in December.
Newcastle's relegation coincided with Klopp's first summer in charge at Liverpool as the German's rebuilding job on Merseyside commenced. The journey to re-establishing the Reds as world beaters began with the recruitment of Sadio Mane and Wijnaldum. The pair are signature Klopp signings; individuals with potential who have blossomed into world class players.
Wijnaldum's debut campaign at Anfield would be his most prolific in front of goal. The Dutch international netted six times in the Premier League, including important goals against Arsenal, Manchester City and the deadlock breaker against Middlesbrough on the final day of the season as the Reds secured their Champions League return. He was already establishing himself as the man for the big occasions.
The 30-year-old's scoring stats have decreased since moving to Merseyside - he has not hit double figures in the league since leaving Newcastle. He has not registered a Premier League assist since April 2018.
But Wijnaldum's importance for Liverpool cannot be simplified into statistics or YouTube montages (but if they are important to you, he did net eight goals in seven games for the Netherlands during Euro 2020 qualification).
For one, he has been deployed in a deeper midfield role by Klopp than the one he occupied for the Magpies. And the reason he doesn't chalk up many assists is simply because not a lot of Liverpool midfielders do. That's how Liverpool play; the midfielders are the pass before the pass.
The City midfield were completely overwhelmed as he harried, pressured and pressed. His link up play was exquisite and he effortlessly pinged cross field passes as Liverpool underlined their title credentials.
Klopp demands so much from his midfield - the stamina, work rate and energy required are off the charts. Yet no player has featured more for Liverpool since Wijnaldum joined the club in 2016 - 207 appearances and counting. A mammoth effort. A figure of consistency in one of the greatest sides to grace the Premier League who comes alive on the biggest occasions.
Gymnastics' loss was very much football's gain. Cheers, nan.
Source: 90min
