Ryan Gravenberch was selected Liverpool’s official player of the match after a superb effort in Thursday night’s Europa League victory over Union SG.

Gravenberch scored his first goal for the Reds late in the first half, capping off what was possibly his best outing since his $43 million (£34 million/€40 million) deadline-day move from Bayern Munich, and Liverpool.com’s James Findlater agreed, awarding Gravenberch a team-high eight out of ten in our player ratings.

Jarell Quansah, one of those who received a seven out of ten score, finished in a close second behind the 21-year-old.

Quansah, who was making his full European debut for the Reds, was physically dominant in his duels and smart in his positioning, and he made a crucial clearance after Alisson uncharacteristically flapped at a corner to help Liverpool keep just its second clean sheet of the season, but one fine moment on the ball also went unnoticed.

Quansah took a few touches inside his own penalty area before fizzing it with perfection through a space in the Union SG framework to find Gravenberch. The Dutchman was able to shift it into Harvey Elliott, who carried it forward and then slipped a pass in behind for Mohamed Salah, who was supported in the center by Darwin Nez. The Uruguayan should have finished off a nice move with a tap-in, but he somehow missed the mark.

Because of the nature of football, we only fully enjoy moments like Quansah’s pass (and Elliott’s excellent performance) when they lead to a goal, even though they have no control over the outcome. As a result, the incisive ball from the center-back will be largely forgotten, though Jürgen Klopp will undoubtedly recall it.

This was only one of Quansah’s hundred successful passes, which sounds like a lot — and it is. To put it in context, Virgil van Dijk hasn’t scored more than 78 goals in a game this season, and while that partly reflects Liverpool’s dominance (the Reds had 74% possession here), it also reflects the trust Quansah’s teammates have in his on-ball abilities, as evidenced by his leading role in the team’s build-up.

He rewarded that trust by completing 90.1% of his passes and six of his ten long balls. Quansah advanced the ball further up the field (797 yards overall) than any of his teammates, suggesting that he was the one initiating many of the attacks.

There’s still more to come from him in this aspect of the game – a few of his more daring passes didn’t go down — but he’s only 20 years old, so it’ll come with time.

The main thing is that Quansah, whose development has been described as ‘a joy to watch’ by his manager, is increasingly looking like a strong all-round package without the obvious limitations that have plagued players like Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips, both of whom were loaned out after promising starts.

It’s still early, but the Englishman, who has just been called up to his country’s under-21 side for the first time, is aware that when Jol Matip’s contract expires at the end of the season, there will likely be a vacancy above him in the pecking order, and he’s one of those bidding to fill it.

Of course, an external signing is not ruled out, but it would be a huge step forward for Quansah in terms of minutes. If he maintains his current form, Liverpool may find that the solution to Matip’s impending departure is there in front of them, saving millions in the process.