Despite several injuries, Ryan Gravenberch was not selected for the Netherlands senior or U21 squads. This has been seen a “signal.”
This month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers for the Netherlands versus France and Greece saw eight players withdraw from service due to injuries.
The U21s are also lacking two players who were originally called up for their own qualifiers against Georgia and Gibraltar in addition to players like Cody Gakpo, Frenkie de Jong, and Steven Berghuis no longer being available.
Gravenberch, who had recently joined Liverpool, turned down a call for the September break, therefore he was not given consideration for a late inclusion despite this.
This infuriated senior manager Ronald Koeman and U21s coach Michael Reiziger, who both said on Monday that his exclusion was a punishment.
“Calling him now was not an option. He has now received the signal, Reiziger told NU.nl.
Juniors or Oranje,” the man said to the media.
“Additionally, Gravenberch has not yet played frequently for Liverpool.
“I’m hoping Liverpool will help him grow more. He has tremendous talent. He is always a possibility for the Dutch team if he plays a lot for his club.
Therefore, Reiziger’s admission that “a person always deserves a second chance” leaves open the possibility of Gravenberch receiving another chance in the future.
“I don’t know if this is a one-off,” he continued. However, we won’t dismiss young athletes altogether.
