Dirk Kuyt on Georginio Wijnaldum's "Wonderful Transfer" to Liverpool

After Liverpool signed Georginio Wijnaldum from Newcastle United, many Liverpool fans would appreciate some more assurance about the quality of a player who is tasked to help the club push on in 2016/17.

Wijnaldum is one of Jürgen Klopp's key signings this summer, and interestingly, former Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt praised the attacking midfielder as well as revealing that Liverpool have been tracking the 25-year-old for some time under previous managers.

"(It is) a wonderful transfer for Gini," the 35-year-old said. "The best compliment for him was that his name in my time at Liverpool buzzed inside the club. He was watched by the scouts already in his youth days at Feyenoord as a very great talent.

"When I played for Liverpool, I heard them frequently say that he would be a wonderful asset one day. He eventually ended up at PSV and Newcastle, before moving to Anfield. He is now at a top club in England and he’ll be at home.

"Led by Klopp, Liverpool want to go way up again. I myself have been at the semi-finals in the Europa League and then I noticed that something is growing. Klopp sees Gini as a nice player. I know him well, he also did well in Brazil. He is not only a good player, but also a player with the lungs of a horse."

What ties Dirk Kuyt and Georginio Wijnaldum apart from both being Dutch, playing at Feyenoord, and ending up at Liverpool? They both won Dutch Footballer of the Year awards after outstanding campaigns and proved that their talents could translate to the Premier League—generally considered to be quite a step above the Eredivisie.

Luis Suárez, another former winner of the Dutch award, ensures that Georginio Wijanldum keeps some fine company in terms of successful Eredivisie stars who went on to wear Liverpool colours. What's more, Dirk Kuyt—a player full of perspiration and application—intimately understands what it takes to succeed for Liverpool under a top manager with exacting standards and tactical demands.