| Ryan Gravenberch | |
| Full Name: | Ryan Jiro Gravenberch[1] |
| Birth Date: | 16 May 2002[2] |
| Birth Place: | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Height: | 1.90 m |
| Position: | Central midfielder |
| Currentclub: | Liverpool |
| Clubnumber: | 38 |
| Youthyears1: | 2009–2010 |
| Youthclubs1: | Zeeburgia |
| Youthyears2: | 2010–2018 |
| Youthclubs2: | Ajax |
| Years1: | 2018–2020 |
| Clubs1: | Jong Ajax |
| Caps1: | 44 |
| Goals1: | 8 |
| Years2: | 2018–2022 |
| Clubs2: | Ajax |
| Caps2: | 72 |
| Goals2: | 7 |
| Years3: | 2022–2023 |
| Clubs3: | Bayern Munich |
| Caps3: | 25 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Years4: | 2023– |
| Clubs4: | Liverpool |
| Caps4: | 27 |
| Goals4: | 1 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2017–2018 |
| Nationalteam1: | Netherlands U16 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 6 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 1 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2018 |
| Nationalteam2: | Netherlands U17 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 4 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
| Nationalyears3: | 2018–2020 |
| Nationalteam3: | Netherlands U19 |
| Nationalcaps3: | 8 |
| Nationalgoals3: | 0 |
| Nationalyears4: | 2020–2023 |
| Nationalteam4: | Netherlands U21 |
| Nationalcaps4: | 11 |
| Nationalgoals4: | 1 |
| Nationalyears5: | 2021– |
| Nationalteam5: | Netherlands |
| Nationalcaps5: | 12 |
| Nationalgoals5: | 1 |
| Club-Update: | 13:27, 17 August 2024 (UTC) |
| Nationalteam-Update: | 6 June 2024 |
Ryan Jiro Gravenberch (born 16 May 2002) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Premier League club Liverpool and the Netherlands national team.
Gravenberch joined the Ajax Youth Academy in 2010, and worked his way up through the junior levels.[3] 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.[5] Gravenberch made his professional debut with Jong Ajax in a 5–2 Eerste Divisie win over FC Dordrecht on 24 August 2018.[6]
Gravenberch made his senior debut with Ajax on 23 September 2018, in a 3–0 Eredivisie loss to PSV.[7] Gravenberch 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.[8]
On 25 November 2020, Gravenberch scored his first Champions League goal in a 3–1 win over Midtjylland in the 2020–21 season.[9]
On 18 April 2021, Gravenberch scored the first goal in a 2–1 win over Vitesse in the 2021 KNVB Cup Final.[10]
On 13 June 2022, Gravenberch signed for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich on a five-year contract.[11] The transfer fee paid to Ajax was a reported €18 million, with an additional €5 million in variables.[12] On 31 August 2022, he scored his first goal and provided an assist in a 5–0 win over Viktoria Köln in the DFB-Pokal.[13]
On 1 September 2023, the final day of the Premier League transfer window, Gravenberch signed for Liverpool on a five-year contract.[14] The fee, officially undisclosed, was reportedly €40 million.[15] [16] 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.[17] 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.[18] On 5 October, Gravenberch scored his first goal for Liverpool in a 2–0 win against Union Saint-Gilloise in the UEFA Europa League.[19] 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.[20] On 21 April 2024, Gravenberch scored his first Premier League goal in a 3–1 win over Fulham.[21]
Gravenberch is a youth international for the Netherlands. At the age of 16, he played for the Netherlands U19s in a friendly 4–1 loss to the England U19s on 5 September 2018.[22]
He was first called up to the senior Netherlands squad in November 2020.[23] He made his debut on 24 March 2021 in a World Cup qualifier against Turkey. On 2 June 2021, Gravenberch was named in the Dutch squad for UEFA Euro 2020.[24] Four days later, he scored his first international goal in a pre-tournament friendly match against Georgia.[25] At the tournament finals, Gravenberch appeared as a substitute in the team's second group match against Austria[26] and played the full 90 minutes in the third group match against North Macedonia.[27]
On 4 September 2023, days after signing for Liverpool, Gravenberch declined a call-up to the Netherlands U21s for their European Championship qualification campaign.[28] 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.[29] [30]
On 29 May 2024, Gravenberch was named in the Netherlands' squad for UEFA Euro 2024.[31]
Gravenberch was born in the Netherlands to Afro-Surinamese parents.[32] His older brother, Danzell Gravenberch, is also a professional footballer.[33]
| Season | League | National cup | League cup | 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 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 3 | |||
| 2020–21 | Eredivisie | 32 | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | 11 | 1 | — | 47 | 5 | ||||
| 2021–22 | Eredivisie | 30 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 3 | |||
| Total | 72 | 7 | 10 | 4 | — | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 103 | 12 | ||||
| Bayern Munich | 2022–23 | Bundesliga | 24 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 6 | 0 | 1 | 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 | 2 | — | 38 | 4 | ||
| 2024–25 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 27 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 2 | — | 39 | 4 | ||||
| Career total | 168 | 16 | 14 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 31 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 221 | 25 | |||
| Netherlands | 2021 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 12 | 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Netherlands score listed first, score column indicates score after each Gravenberch goal.[35]
| Date | scope=col | Venue | scope=col | Cap | scope=col | Opponent | scope=col | Score | scope=col | Result | scope=col | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope=row | 1 | 6 June 2021 | De Grolsch Veste, Enschede, Netherlands | 5 | 3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
Ajax
Bayern Munich
Liverpool
Netherlands U17
Individual
2018[41]
2021[42]
2020–21[44]
March 2021[45]