Netherlands under-21 coach Michael Reiziger has vowed that he won’t write off Ryan Gravenberch for future call-ups despite omitting the Liverpool midfielder from his latest international squad.
The 21-year-old opted out of representing his nation last month as he wanted to concentrate on settling in at his new club, having only just completed his move from Bayern Munich at the time.
The decision has been made for him this month, with the ex-Barcelona defender finding no place for the youngster in his squad to face Georgia and Gibraltar in European Championship qualifiers over the next seven days.
Reiziger told Dutch news outlet NU.nl that while a call-up for Gravenberch was off the table this month following September’s events, he doesn’t think the door should remain closed to him for good.
The Netherlands under-21 boss said: “It would be strange if it were now over with him at the Dutch Juniors. He is a boy with a lot of potential and he is still young. I think that a person always deserves an extra chance. Not everyone makes the best decisions or one with the consequences of this.
“Nigel [de Jong, KNVB director of football affairs] has had contact with him, but I have not. It was not an option to call him up now. The signal has now been sent to him, but you are still busy with a group. It is something you have to want to belong to.
“I don’t know if this is a one-off. But we are not going to write off young players anyway.”
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From Reiziger’s admission above, and Ronald Koeman’s comments that ‘we have a certain opinion about players who opt out’ of a Netherlands call-up (NU.nl), it seems that Gravenberch’s decision to pull out of the under-21 squad last month has continued to put some noses out of joint.
It may be disappointing for the midfielder personally but, from a Liverpool perspective, it ensures that he’ll be fresh and raring to go for another busy three-week period following the current international break.
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Two Europa League games and a Carabao Cup tie in that timeframe should see him make a few more starts for the Reds, while there’s every chance that he could also force his way into the line-up for upcoming Premier League matches.
Gravenberch’s international snub also means that he’ll have plenty of time training with his club and further integrating himself into Jurgen Klopp’s methodologies, which could be crucial for him, having only joined LFC at the start of September.
That said, Reiziger is correct not to shut the door fully on giving the 21-year-old further opportunities with the national team for subsequent fixtures, considering the midfielder’s vast talents.
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He is too good for Holland to ignore. He will be welcomed back.