Ryan Gravenberch’s national team coach maintains that declining a call-up from the Netherlands U21s in order to concentrate on Liverpool was the “wrong choice.”
Gravenberch has made steps to guarantee a smooth transition after completing his £38.5 million transfer from Bayern Munich to Liverpool on the final day of the transfer window.
The 21-year-old’s debut is most likely scheduled for September 16 against Wolves because he is ineligible to play against Aston Villa on Sunday.
He then notified manager Michael Reiziger that he would not be joining the team after being called up by the Netherlands U21s before the first international break of the year.
Gravenberch “wants to focus on his new club,” according to the Dutch FA, which Reiziger found less than convincing.
In the Netherlands, he told reporters, “I don’t think it’s a wise decision.
“I also told him that. It’s not a wise choice, in my opinion.
In addition, Reiziger said, “I know Ryan, and I think he is a good boy, a sympathetic boy, but he made the wrong choice.”
Further calls-ups were even in doubt, according to the new U21s boss, who insisted that Gravenberch “needs to learn from this.”
Although the midfielder has 11 previous senior caps for the Netherlands, manager Ronald Koeman said to reporters on Monday: “We are not happy with [him] refusing to play for his country.”
Full-back Jeremie Frimpong experienced a similar circumstance when he was “punished” by being left off the selection this month, according to Koeman.
Reiziger remarked, “You have to play for your country with your heart, not with your mind.
“It is a privilege. There are no further concessions. It certainly helps if you want to be there, and I find that to be extremely significant.
But now that he’s made up his mind, he wants to remain in Liverpool to adjust.
Curiously, Gravenberch played for Reiziger at Jong Ajax while serving as both a player and a coach, taking on a crucial position while being a reserve player.
However, the 50-year-old stressed his choice as “a principle” for the team since he is anxious to make a good first impression when he takes over as coach of the Netherlands U21s.
Reiziger continued, “I truly believe that it is an honor to play for your nation. It would have been played as a message otherwise.
“That’s a principle, not a statement.
If you consider Jong Oranje to be nice and non-binding, then. At the top, nothing is optional. I told the other guys about that.
