Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch was in action for the Netherlands during their Nations League match with Hungary on Friday night.
The Nations League meeting between Hungary and the Netherlands began with a friendly exchange between Liverpool teammates Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch – who were rivals for 90 minutes. However, six minutes into the game, Gravenberch demonstrated his prowess with a smooth roulette past Szoboszlai, leaving the Hungary captain in disbelief at his club teammate’s actions.
The match at Budapest’s Ferenc Puskas Stadium ended in a 1-1 draw – marking an eventful night for Liverpool players. Roland Sallai scored for Hungary before Denzel Dumfries equalised for the Dutch from Reds star Cody Gakpo’s inviting set-piece.
Elsewhere, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk was shown a red card – ruling him out of Monday night’s showdown with Germany. Van Dijk, Gakpo, and Gravenberch are all crucial members of Ronald Koeman’s international squad, with Gravenberch assuming a more senior role following his outstanding start to the season with Liverpool.
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The match marked his 15th cap for his country, having been a regular in the Dutch midfield throughout a breakout spell at Ajax, under Erik ten Hag. After moving to Liverpool last summer and declining a call-up to the Dutch Under-21s, Gravenberch has had a remarkable start to the Premier League season.
Liverpool’s young midfielder has been making waves recently, cementing his place in the team and impressing enough to win back a spot in the Dutch national squad. The 22-year-old has featured from the start in all seven top-flight matches, contributing to the Reds’ promising haul of 18 points from a possible 21.
His performances earned him a call-up in September, although Netherlands coach Koeman wasn’t shy about his past concerns around the player. He told Dutch outlet AD: “We have always seen a lot of potential in Ryan. Many people, including myself, believed that he could improve his concentration [levels].
“It was too easy for him when he was younger. It seems, we are talking about two matches now, that he realises what is required in the midfield of Liverpool in the Premier League.
“That is the reality. If a player is given the trust or the chance, that can be the push in the right direction.”
Meanwhile, in response to Koeman’s comments, Gravenberch offered his own thoughts to De Telegraaf: “It’s not nonsense,” the 22-year-old former Ajax and Bayern Munich star admitted.
“Everyone has their own opinion. People say about me that I’m a bit nonchalant.
“That’s just in me. Now I have that nonchalance too, but people don’t really talk about it, because things are going well at Liverpool.”
