Holland manager Ronald Koeman has insisted he’s ‘not happy’ with Ryan Gravenberch’s decision to pull out of international duty.
The midfielder signed for Liverpool from Bayern Munich on deadline day from Bayern unich for a fee of £34 million. As a result, he was unavailable to feature in the Reds’ 3-0 win against Aston Villa on Sunday.
In a bid to get up to speed, Gravenberch has pulled out of the Netherlands’ under-21s squad for upcoming against against Moldova and North Macedonia. The ex-Ajax man wants to use the time to get up to speed with the Reds at their AXA Training Centre. But that decision has not gone down with Holland supremo and former Everton manager Koeman. He told reporters via Voetbal Neiuws: “For Ryan Gravenberch, we are not happy with that. Nigel [De Jong] has also been in contact with him. You can make a step through good performances at the Dutch Juniors.”
Meanwhile, under-21s boss Michael Reiziger expressed his disappointment. He said via VI: “I don’t think it’s a good decision, I told him that. I really don’t think it’s good. For a national team, for your country, you have to play with your heart. Not with your head. So you really have to want to be there. That is just important to me. He has made his decision to stay in Liverpool to acclimatise. I know Ryan, he is a good and likeable boy, but he made the wrong choice here.
‘If you can play for a national team, that is an honor. That should make you proud. There are no concessions involved. That goes for everyone, not just Ryan. A player who joins the Dutch Juniors must come with his heart and must fight for his country. The players who play with their heart always get something more out of it. As a trainer you also benefit from this.
“If you think: it is nice and non-binding, then you are wrong. Nothing is optional at the top. And you are playing with the best in the Netherlands here, so it is certainly not without obligation. For me this is not a statement, because then it would have already been played. More of a principle that I pass on to all my players: playing for the Dutch Juniors is an honor and you do that with your heart.”
