Liverpool will have plenty of players featuring at Euro 2024 this summer, even some who may not enter the tournament in the best form.
The Premier League campaign is now done and dusted with Liverpool fans saying an emotional goodbye to boss Jurgen Klopp.
Arne Slot will come in as Klopp’s replacement but many Reds stars will be playing for their countries this summer before starting life under Slot.
Copa America will see Alisson, Alexis Mac Allister, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez feature for their countries in pursuit of glory.
Euro 2024 will be the focus for Andrew Robertson, Dominik Szoboszlai and Trent Alexander-Arnold, whilst the Netherlands squad will have plenty of Liverpool influence.
Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo are both in the Netherlands squad for Euro 2024 and will join former Reds midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum.
Ronald Koeman on Ryan Gravenberch
Then we come to Ryan Gravenberch, who has been included in the Netherlands squad.
The 22-year-old will now compete with the likes of Wijnaldum, Joey Veerman, Teun Koopmeiners, Tijjani Reijnders, Frenkie de Jong and Jerdy Schouten for a spot in the midfield.
Gravenberch left Bayern Munich for Liverpool on deadline day last summer, seemingly feeling that he needed to leave the Bundesliga giants to save his Euro 2024 hopes.
Gravenberch barely featured for Bayern but his fortunes at Liverpool weren’t all that much better.
12 starts and 14 substitute appearances in the Premier League wasn’t as much football as Gravenberch would have liked, but he will now have a chance to add to his 11 Netherlands caps.
Boss Ronald Koeman has now commented on Gravenberch’s inclusion whilst speaking to Algemeen Dagblad over in the Netherlands.
Koeman believes that Gravenberch has found himself in a ‘bad position’ as he hasn’t played enough since leaving Ajax for Bayern in 2022.
Koeman acknowledged that Gravenberch has ‘a lot of talent’, but his lack of game time over the last two years means he is left behind other players and only injuries may get him into the starting XI.
“Gravenberch has fallen into a bit of a bad position. He has a lot of talent, but has played little. If some players are not fit, you get closer and closer,” said Koeman.
Gravenberch’s situation could have been much worse had the injured trio of Marten de Roon, Quinten Timber and Mats Wieffer been available to play.
Koeman’s comments suggest that Gravenberch may have missed out if any of those three were available and Liverpool man feels like the next man up.
This is still an opportunity for Gravenberch to shine for the Netherlands; Koeman will watch him every day ahead of the tournament and he can certainly force his way in.
Gravenberch, hailed for his technical ability by Jurgen Klopp, now faces a key period in his career.
After showing so much much promise at Ajax, Gravenberch has struggled to play regular league action.
Now set to play under a Dutch boss in Arne Slot, Gravenberch needs to really push with the Netherlands before hopefully taking his opportunity at Liverpool.
There are chances for Gravenberch to really kick on now but he has to take them – or Liverpool may be tempted to move him on in 2025.
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