Having joined Liverpool from an already relegated Newcastle, Georginio Wijnaldum has more than proven his worth at Anfield since his arrival.
The Netherlands international has rather flown under the radar on the red half of Merseyside, with big-money signings like Virgil van Dijk and Alisson, and more high-profile players like Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah naturally taking most of the limelight.
But in truth, Wijnaldum has been just as influential and effective as the rest of his teammates. After all, it’s the sum of the parts that makes a team so great, and the midfielder is a vital cog in this Liverpool machine.
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Since making the switch to Liverpool, he has played an impressive 177 times for the club, and whilst his goals to games ratio is hardly anything to write home about (he has found the back of the net on just 18 occasions in total), he has stepped up to the plate when the Reds have really needed him.
Who can ever forget his match-defining contribution against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final second leg last season at Anfield? After Divock Origi had put the Reds in front, it was Wijnaldum who scored a quick-fire brace just after the second-half to make it 3-3 on aggregate, before Jurgen Klopp’s men completed their famous comeback with a late winner.
The £45m-rated ace almost helped conjure another famous European night when he opened the scoring against Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their last 16 clash, but his fine header sadly was in vain.
Even despite his lack of goals in terms of sheer volume, it is no surprise that Klopp has been particularly effusive in his praise of the Dutch maestro. Speaking back in October last year, the Liverpool boss addressed why Wijnaldum appears to be overlooked in terms of the limelight, and waxed lyrical about how good he actually is.
He said: “It is not my fault if he goes under the radar. Gini speaks on the pitch with the way he plays. He is the perfect midfielder. He has all the things you need: both directions, small spaces, big spaces, hard challenges, fine football, all of that.”
Wijnaldum’s performances and the impression he has made on Klopp and the like is a real testament to the great work Michael Edwards has done. It’s a signing that will go down as a touch of genius.
Meanwhile, this Liverpool ace could look for an exit in the summer.