New Liverpool signing SLAMMED for 'WRONG CHOICE' as trouble brews
Tom Weber
- 4 Sept 2023 17:24 BST
- 3 min read
Dutch bosses Ronald Koeman and Michael Reiziger are not happy with Ryan Gravenberch's decision to not honour his international commitments.
The 21-year-old midfielder decided not to respond to Reiziger's call-up for the Dutch U21s in order to have more time to acclimatise to his new surroundings in Liverpool after his €40 million Deadline Day transfer from Bayern. As a result, he will miss European Championship qualifiers against Moldova and North Macedonia.
“I don't know the situation,” said Reiziger, the coach of the Dutch U21s on Monday afternoon. “So no, I don't think it's a good decision. I told him that too. I really don't think it's a good decision. I know Ryan, I think he is a good boy, a likeable boy, but he made the wrong choice on this one."
READ: New Liverpool signing REJECTS international call up
"You have to play for your country with your heart, not with your head," Reiziger continued. "It's an honour. That's it, there are no concessions. You really have to want to be here and that's just very important to me. But he has made his decision and he now wants to stay in Liverpool to acclimatise."
Consequences?
Reiziger does not yet know what this means for Gravenberch's future with the Dutch seniors and U21s. "I'm going to look into that. I would like to have players who want to play for the Dutch team with their heart. Playing for the Dutch national team is an honour. You have to want to be part of that."
Senior national team boss Ronald Koeman also weighed in on the matter, stating that he, too, is not pleased with Gravenberch's choice. The coach of the Oranje used the example of Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong, who is not part of the squad because he also spurned the Dutch U21s earlier, to get his message across.
READ: The 10 stars who could still move to Saudi Pro League
"You can see that as a kind of punishment. It is the same for Ryan Gravenberch, we are not happy with him. [Director of football] Nigel [de Jong] has also been in contact with him. With good performances at the Dutch U21s, you can take the next step."
