South Wales Echo

‘He can drive upfield, has a decent shot and makes good runs’

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WHO IS MARKO GRUJIC?

Jurgen Klopp’s first signing at Liverpool. Well, technicall­y.

The club signed him in January 2016, but he was loaned back to Red Star Belgrade for the remainder of the season.

Officially becoming a Liverpool player in the summer of 2016, he has been given limited opportunit­ies in midfield so far.

A strong, tall central midfielder with a decent presence about him on the field, he has rarely failed to impress when given time in the first team.

Hopes were high at the start of last season after scoring against Barcelona at Wembley in a preseason friendly, but he’s only made 14 senior appearance­s for the club in Liverpool Echo football writer Kristian Walsh gave us the lowdown on the Serbian star... here’s what he had to say. two years. His career here is still waiting for lift-off, it’s safe to say.

HOW GOOD IS HE?

It’s hard to tell. He’s been called up to the Serbian national team a fair few times during his spell at Anfield, and he was wanted by a host of European clubs when he signed for the Reds.

But glimpses of what he can do have been few and far between. He’s played just 52 minutes of Premier League action. I’ve watched him a bit for the Under-23s and he’s been a step above that level, at least.

WHAT SORT OF PLAYER IS HE?

He strikes me as the sort of midfielder Nemanja Matic is – although obviously nowhere near as accomplish­ed. I think he will be best suited sitting deep, breaking up play and setting the tempo on the ball. He’s also a tall lad, so can deal with aerial bombardmen­ts quite well.

But he seems to be utilised a little further up the field in the ‘No.8’ position. You can sort of see why. He has the ability to drive up the field with the ball, has a decent shot on him and makes unattended runs into the penalty area.

The big thing for him is to figure out what sort of player he ultimately will become. He could do with being a little less reckless in the challenge, mind you...

WHY IS HE MOVING?

See above. He needs to get some minutes in English football and establish what midfielder he will ultimately become.

I wouldn’t say his future is in doubt at Liverpool necessaril­y, but he needs to go and impress somewhere in a proper competitiv­e environmen­t. This is probably seen as an opportunit­y to get him to grips with the physicalit­y of the game (though he seems physical enough to me!) and prepare him for next season.

WILL HE FIT IN AT CARDIFF?

I’m not too familiar with the Bluebirds this season bar the odd live game and fleeting highlights on TV, but I would certainly suggest he’s a Warnock player. I don’t even mean that in a derogatory way. He could become a real focal point of a side pushing for promotion.

HOW IS HE VIEWED AT LIVERPOOL?

Eagerly, but with a little confusion. He came in with a decent reputation, has looked competent for his young age when he has been utilised, but has found playing time hugely limited. That, in part, is because of the midfield Liverpool have at their disposal. Supporters will be pleased to see him go on loan though – if only to catch a glimpse of what he’s all about.

In terms of inside the club, Klopp maintains he is a huge fan. Speaking in December, he said: “I like the boy a lot. He has made progress like hell. His heading is outstandin­g, but he doesn’t make the squad a lot which isn’t the best thing for him for sure.

“I really see Marko in the future playing for Liverpool. But he’s not playing in the moment, so we have to see what we can do to make it more likely that he comes through in the near future.”

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