Wikipedia

Ryan Gravenberch

Ryan Jiro Gravenberch (born 16 May 2002) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a central or defensive midfielder for Premier League club Liverpool and the Netherlands national team. Considered one of the best young defensive midfielders in the world, he is known for his passing and dribbling ability.[3][4][5][6][7]

Ryan Gravenberch
Gravenberch playing for Bayern Munich in 2022
Personal information
Full name Ryan Jiro Gravenberch[1]
Date of birth (2002-05-16) 16 May 2002 (age 22)[2]
Place of birth Amsterdam, Netherlands
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[2]
Position(s) Central midfielder, defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Liverpool
Number 38
Youth career
2009–2010 Zeeburgia
2010–2018 Ajax
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2020 Jong Ajax 44 (8)
2018–2022 Ajax 72 (7)
2022–2023 Bayern Munich 25 (0)
2023– Liverpool 36 (1)
International career‡
2017–2018 Netherlands U16 6 (1)
2018 Netherlands U17 4 (0)
2018–2020 Netherlands U19 8 (0)
2020–2023 Netherlands U21 11 (1)
2021– Netherlands 16 (1)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Netherlands
UEFA European Under-17 Championship
Winner 2018 U-17 Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:53, 2 November 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14 October 2024

Gravenberch began his career with Zeeburgia before joining Ajax, where he won three Eredivisie titles. In 2022, he signed for Bayern Munich, helping them win the Bundesliga. He transferred to Liverpool in 2023.

Gravenberch played for the Netherlands at various youth levels, and was part of the under-17 squad that won the 2018 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. He made his senior debut in 2021 and represented the country at UEFA Euro 2020.

Club career

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Ajax

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Gravenberch joined the Ajax Youth Academy in 2010, and worked his way up through the junior levels.[8] On 7 June 2018, he received the first ever "Abdelhak Nouri Trofee", which recognizes the best talent in the Ajax academy.[4] He signed his first professional contract with Ajax that same day, keeping him at the club until 2023.[3] Gravenberch made his professional debut with Jong Ajax in a 5–2 Eerste Divisie win over Dordrecht on 24 August 2018.[9]

Gravenberch made his senior debut with Ajax on 23 September 2018, in a 3–0 Eredivisie loss to PSV.[10] He became the youngest ever Ajax player to play in the Eredivisie at 16 years and 130 days, surpassing the record of 16 years and 242 days set by Clarence Seedorf.[11]

On 25 November 2020, Gravenberch scored his first Champions League goal in a 3–1 win over Midtjylland in the 2020–21 season.[12]

On 18 April 2021, Gravenberch scored the first goal in a 2–1 win over Vitesse in the 2021 KNVB Cup final.[13]

Bayern Munich

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Gravenberch with Bayern Munich in 2022, against future Liverpool teammate Dominik Szoboszlai

On 13 June 2022, Gravenberch signed for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich on a five-year contract.[14] The transfer fee paid to Ajax was a reported €18 million, with an additional €5 million in variables.[15] On 31 August, he scored his first goal and provided an assist in a 5–0 win over Viktoria Köln in the DFB-Pokal.[16]

Liverpool

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On 1 September 2023, the final day of the Premier League transfer window, Gravenberch signed for Liverpool on a five-year contract.[17] The fee, officially undisclosed, was reportedly €40 million.[18][19] On 16 September, Gravenberch made his debut appearance for Liverpool, entering as an extra-time substitute to replace Mohamed Salah in the 93rd minute of what would be a Premier League away victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers.[20] On 21 September, Gravenberch made a lengthy pass into the box to assist Luis Diaz, his first assist for Liverpool, during a Europa League group stage victory against LASK in which his side won 3–1.[21] On 5 October, Gravenberch scored his first goal for Liverpool in a 2–0 win against Union Saint-Gilloise in the UEFA Europa League.[22] Gravenberch started a number of games in the Premier League in October and November 2023 owing to the absence of regular starter Curtis Jones due to a suspension and then an injury.[23] On 21 April 2024, Gravenberch scored his first Premier League goal in a 3–1 win over Fulham.[24]

At the start of the 2024–25 campaign, Gravenberch was shifted by new coach Arne Slot to a more deep-lying midfield role.[25] He won plaudits for his early-season performances in this new position, particularly for his dominance in a 3–0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford.[26] He was widely praised by pundits for his performances in this new role.[27][28]

International career

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Gravenberch was a youth international for the Netherlands. At the age of 15, he represented the Netherlands U17s at the 2018 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, helping his team to victory.[29] At 16, he played for the Netherlands U19s in a friendly 4–1 loss to the England U19s on 5 September 2018.[30]

He was first called up to the senior Netherlands squad in November 2020.[31] He made his debut on 24 March 2021 in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Turkey. On 2 June 2021, Gravenberch was named in the Dutch squad for UEFA Euro 2020.[32] Four days later, he scored his first international goal in a 3–0 win against Georgia in a pre-tournament friendly match.[33][14] At the tournament finals, Gravenberch appeared as a substitute in the team's second group match against Austria,[34] and played the full 90 minutes in the third group match against North Macedonia.[35]

On 4 September 2023, days after signing for Liverpool, Gravenberch declined a call-up to the Netherlands U21s for their European Championship qualification campaign.[36] The team confirmed his absence was a choice to "focus on his new club", with national coach Ronald Koeman and U21s coach Michael Reiziger condemning the decision.[37][38]

On 29 May 2024, Gravenberch was named in the Netherlands' squad for UEFA Euro 2024.[39]

Personal life

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Gravenberch was born in the Netherlands to Afro-Surinamese parents.[40] His older brother, Danzell Gravenberch, is also a professional footballer.[41]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 5 November 2024[42]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Jong Ajax 2018–19 Eerste Divisie 27 2 — — — — 27 2
2019–20 Eerste Divisie 17 6 — — — — 17 6
Total 44 8 — — — — 44 8
Ajax 2018–19 Eredivisie 1 0 1 1 — 0 0 — 2 1
2019–20 Eredivisie 9 2 2 1 — 1[c] 0 0 0 12 3
2020–21 Eredivisie 32 3 4 1 — 11[d] 1 — 47 5
2021–22 Eredivisie 30 2 3 1 — 8[e] 0 1[f] 0 42 3
Total 72 7 10 4 — 20 1 1 0 103 12
Bayern Munich 2022–23 Bundesliga 24 0 2 1 — 6[e] 0 1[g] 0 33 1
2023–24 Bundesliga 1 0 — — — 0 0 1 0
Total 25 0 2 1 — 6 0 1 0 34 1
Liverpool 2023–24 Premier League 26 1 2 1 5 0 5[c] 2 — 38 4
2024–25 Premier League 10 0 0 0 0 0 4[e] 0 — 14 0
Total 36 1 2 1 5 0 9 2 — 52 4
Career total 177 16 14 6 5 0 35 3 2 0 233 25
  1. ^ Includes KNVB Cup, DFB-Pokal, FA Cup
  2. ^ Includes EFL Cup
  3. ^ a b Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
  4. ^ Six appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, five appearances in UEFA Europa League
  5. ^ a b c Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  6. ^ Appearance in Johan Cruyff Shield
  7. ^ Appearance in DFL-Supercup

International

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As of match played 14 October 2024[43]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Netherlands 2021 10 1
2022 1 0
2024 5 0
Total 16 1
As of match played 14 October 2024
Netherlands score listed first, score column indicates score after each Gravenberch goal.[43]
List of international goals scored by Ryan Gravenberch
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 6 June 2021 De Grolsch Veste, Enschede, Netherlands 5   Georgia 3–0 3–0 Friendly

Honours

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Ajax

Bayern Munich

Liverpool

Netherlands U17

Individual

References

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  1. ^ "2023/24 Premier League squad lists". Premier League. 13 September 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Ryan Gravenberch". Premier League. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Gravenberch and Brobbey sign first Ajax contracts - Football Oranje". 7 June 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Ajax renames talent award after Abdelhak Nouri". 8 June 2018.
  5. ^ "Evolution not revolution - Why Ryan Gravenberch is now thriving at Liverpool under Arne Slot". www.transfermarkt.com. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  6. ^ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  7. ^ "Why Ryan Gravenberch finally realized his potential". World Soccer Talk. 29 September 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  8. ^ "Toptalent Ryan Gravenberch uit Zuidoost tekent bij Ajax - Bijlmer en Meer". 10 July 2018.
  9. ^ "Ajax II vs. Dordrecht - 24 August 2018 - Soccerway". Soccerway.
  10. ^ "PSV vs. Ajax - 23 September 2018 - Soccerway". Soccerway.
  11. ^ "Cookies op gelderlander.nl - gelderlander.nl". www.gelderlander.nl.
  12. ^ "Ajax 3–1 Midtjylland". UEFA. 25 November 2020.
  13. ^ "Neres' stoppage-time goal seals Dutch Cup win". AFC Ajax. 18 April 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  14. ^ a b "Ryan Gravenberch signs five-year deal". FC Bayern Munich. 13 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  15. ^ Summerfield, Jude (12 June 2022). "Bayern Munich director further confirms Ryan Gravenberch transfer". 90min. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  16. ^ "Tor und Assist: Gravenberch bringt Bayerns Sieg auf den Weg". kicker.de (in German). 31 August 2022.
  17. ^ "Liverpool complete signing of midfielder Ryan Gravenberch - Liverpool FC". Liverpool F.C. September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  18. ^ "Liverpool agree £34m deal for Bayern's Gravenberch". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  19. ^ Joyce, Paul (1 September 2023). "Ryan Gravenberch set for Liverpool medical after club agree £34m deal". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  20. ^ "Liverpool score two late goals to beat Wolves". BBC Sport. 15 September 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  21. ^ "Liverpool come from behind to beat LASK". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  22. ^ "Gravenberch scores as Liverpool beat Union SG". BBC Sport. 5 October 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  23. ^ "Why Curtis Jones is not in the Liverpool squad vs. Luton". BBC Sport. 5 November 2023.
  24. ^ "Fulham 1–3 Liverpool". BBC Sport. 21 April 2024.
  25. ^ "Ryan Gravenberch reveals Arne Slot talks about midfield position". Liverpool F.C. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  26. ^ McAleer, Ben. "Why has Ryan Gravenberch become a key midfield cog for Slot at Liverpool?". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  27. ^ "Why Ryan Gravenberch finally realized his potential". World Soccer Talk. 29 September 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  28. ^ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  29. ^ "Italy 2–2 (1–4 pens) Netherlands". UEFA. 20 May 2018.
  30. ^ "OnsOranje". www.onsoranje.nl.
  31. ^ "Netherlands 3–1 Bosnia & Herzegovina". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  32. ^ "The Netherlands full 24-man Euro 2020 squad". The New York Times. 1 June 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  33. ^ "Turkey v Netherlands game report". FIFA. 24 March 2021. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021.
  34. ^ "Netherlands vs Austria". UEFA. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  35. ^ "North Macedonia vs Netherlands". UEFA. 21 June 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  36. ^ "Gravenberch niet bij Jong Oranje; Fedde de Jong is zijn vervanger". www.onsoranje.nl. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  37. ^ "Reiziger duidelijk over afmelding Gravenberch: 'Een verkeerde keuze'". Voetbal International (in Dutch). 4 September 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  38. ^ "Koeman deelde 'straf' uit aan Frimpong en baalt van Gravenberch: 'Niet blij mee'". www.voetbalnieuws.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  39. ^ "Netherlands Euro 2024 squad: Ian Maatsen dropped, Georginio Wijnaldum and Daley Blind retained". The New York Times. 29 May 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  40. ^ "Ryan Gravenberch - Football-Wonderkids". 2 July 2024.
  41. ^ "Ryan Gravenberch, een Raiola-diamant die wél bij Ajax blijft: "Wil eerste halen"". Elfvoetbal.nl.
  42. ^ "R. Gravenberch". Soccerway. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  43. ^ a b "Ryan Gravenberch". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  44. ^ a b "Ryan Gravenberch - Career Honours". Soccerway.
  45. ^ "Neres' stoppage-time goal seals Dutch Cup win". AFC Ajax. 18 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  46. ^ "Dortmund draw gifts Bayern title on thrilling final day". BBC Sport. 27 May 2023. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  47. ^ "Sadio Mane debut goal helps Bayern Munich to Supercup win over RB Leipzig". Bundesliga. 30 July 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  48. ^ McNulty, Phil (25 February 2024). "Chelsea 0–1 Liverpool". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  49. ^ "Ajax vernoemt talentenprijs naar Abdelhak Nouri". AFC Ajax.
  50. ^ "Gravenberch verkozen tot talent van het jaar". AjaxShowtime.nl. 17 May 2021.
  51. ^ "Tadić, Gravenberch and Senesi all winners in the Eredivisie Player of…". Eredivisie. 8 September 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  52. ^ "Na Marco van Basten Award ook Johan Cruijff Prijs voor toptalent Gravenberch". AD.nl. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  53. ^ "Gravenberch uitgeroepen tot eredivisiespeler van de maand". Eredivisie. 2 April 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  54. ^ a b "FC Twente is the main provider for the Eredivisie team of the month". Eredivisie. 1 April 2022.
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