Marko Grujic Misses Liverpool but for Now, Playing Time Is More Important

In the midst of his second year on loan with Hertha Berlin, it could be easy to think that Marko Grujic’s future lies away from Anfield, but the midfielder will have three years left on his Liverpool contract when he returns next summer.

Meanwhile, Liverpool could be looking to shake things up a little in the middle of the pitch come 2020, and the club have always insisted that Grujic’s time will come. And with another season’s experience starting every week, Grujic will be ready.

“Klopp and I are texting regularly,” the 23-year-old told The Liverpool Echo this week. “Sometimes I miss Liverpool, of course, it’s one of the greatest teams in the world, but for my development it’s more important to play regularly.”

He’s certainly doing that, going the full 90 minutes in each of Hertha’s seven league games so far and in their early round DFB-Pokal Cup victory. Along the way he’s scored two goals and an assist and been a dynamic presence for them.

After a season in which his manager called him one of the best players who’d ever lined up for the German club and where, when he was fit, Hertha’s form would have seen them at least challenge for the Champions League places, it’s more of the same.

And that’s promising. Both for Hertha and Grujic in the present as well as for Liverpool down the road. For now, though, the priority is on that present and on Hertha, who Grujic believes can at least land a Europa League berth this season.

“Hertha is a special club and represents the capital of Germany,” the young Serbian midfielder added. “It will be a good experience—when I retire one day—to say that I played for such a big club like Hertha.”

“This season we can archive great things, I think we could reach sixth place in the Bundesliga. For me, it’s most important to stay healthy and to play as many games as I can.”