Liverpool star's feud with national team is seemingly over after Ronald Koeman's comments

Dutch national team manager Ronald Koeman has reportedly forgiven Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch after his insistence to not join up with the U21 side.

The 21-year-old midfielder has been in strong form since joining from Bayern Munich this summer and, despite joining on deadline day, after 13 games it's safe to say he is very much a Jurgen Klopp midfielder.

His great start for his new club came at the expense of his international duties, however. U21s manager Michael Reiziger criticised the midfielder’s decision, with Koeman backing his fellow coach by leaving him out of selection for October and November.

Gravenberch's omission from Koeman’s provisional squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against the Republic of Ireland and Gibraltar suggested his punishment would continue. He already has 11 senior caps to his name and his current form shows he deserves to be a part of the senior national team going forward.

But speaking to Ziggo Sport this week, the manager has detailed talks with Gravenberch and revealed when he could be recalled.

“Before the pre-selection was announced, I called him and said that he was not there,” Koeman explained. "But if he continues to develop in this way, he will join the Dutch national team.

“I told him that I want to do it with the same group as much as possible in the coming international match. We are going to qualify, which means we will have practice matches in March and June and then the European Championship. He is a midfielder who is definitely in the picture if he plays more.

“That was already the case at Bayern, but if you saw every weekend that he did not play or came on for five minutes…then it does not make sense to select him.”

It would likely have represented the first meeting between officials from the KNVB and Gravenberch, with Koeman now understanding his reasons to turn down an U21s call-up.

“No, that’s over,” he said, when asked if Gravenberch would remain in exile.

“Whether his withdrawal was understandable? Maybe, but I actually think that he was able to get the matches at the Dutch Juniors that he did not play before.

“Of course, there is something to be said for him being like that, but I think that we at the KNVB should never be happy if someone does not opt-out for a good reason. I was also a football player, but you have to draw a line.

“We told Ryan: we understand it a bit, but we don’t think it’s OK. If you are called, you must come.”

Former Dutch international Nigel de Jong, who is now technical director of the Dutch FA, was at the AXA Training Centre on Friday last week and his presence was an indication that they are ready to reintegrate Gravenbech back in the Netherlands setup - with De Jong crucial in any such decision.