One of the big positives from Liverpool’s start to the season has been the form of Ryan Gravenberch and his international coach Ronald Koeman seems to have changed his mind about the midfielder.
The 22-year-old was a highly-rated talent when competing with Ajax in the Netherlands but dropped off massively having completed a transfer to Bayern Munich in 2022. Things did not work out for the midfielder in Germany, leading to the Dutch talent making the switch to Liverpool last summer.
Gravenberch did not make headlines during his first season at Anfield but following the arrival of Arne Slot at the Merseyside club, things have turned around for the Netherlands international.
The former Ajax star has been operating in the six position and has thrived so far this season, putting in a memorable display at the weekend as the midfielder ran the show at Old Trafford as Liverpool defeated Man United 3-0.
Gravemberch received an abundance of praise following his display against the Manchester club and ahead of the Netherlands’ Nations League games against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Germany over the coming two weeks, Dutch coach Ronald Koeman shared his thoughts about the Liverpool star’s recent form.
Koeman has had issues with Gravenberch in the past and briefly exiled the midfielder from the Dutch national team last year before including the Liverpool star in his squad for the European Championships in Germany this summer.
The 22-year-old failed to play a single minute at Euro 2024 but has once again been called up for the Netherlands’ Nations League games during the current international break.
The midfielder joins up with Holland in top form and during a press conference on Tuesday, Koeman was asked about Gravenberch’s start to the season under Slot.
“It might be a bit of confidence that he gains,” said Koeman via the Liverpool Echo. “He started earlier than some other internationals. Maybe the penny will drop now.
“We have always seen a lot of potential in Ryan. A lot of people, including me, thought that some of his concentration, his laziness, could be improved.
“It seems he realises what is required of Liverpool’s midfield in the Premier League. If a player is given the confidence or the opportunity, then it can be the push in the right direction.”
The former Barcelona coach’s words seem to suggest that he has changed his mind about Gravenberch and that will be confirmed in the Netherlands’ next two games as it will be interesting to see how many minutes the 22-year-old plays.
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