The Dutch midfielder is very likely to start for Liverpool against Tottenham this evening
The Dutch midfielder is very likely to start for Liverpool against Tottenham this evening
Ryan Gravenberch has been a revelation for Liverpool this season. The Dutch footballer joined Liverpool in the summer of 2023 but has become un-droppable this season with new manager Arne Slot deploying him in a deeper midfield role.
After being rested for the Reds’ League Cup quarter-final tie against Southampton this week, he is very likely to return to the starting eleven for today’s game away at Tottenham Hotspur.
While he never played as a defensive midfielder under previous manager Jurgen Klopp, it may not be surprising Gravenberch has excelled in the role given his family. Gravenberch was born in the Netherlands to Afro-Surinamese parents.
Both of his parents have played football at an amateur level. Mike Kolf played with Gravenberch’s dad, who is also called Ryan, at KSJB, an amateur club in Amsterdam. In an interview with The Athletic earlier this year, he revealed Ryan Snr travelled an hour from his home Rotterdam for games but Mike told him to move to the Dutch capital.
His mum Aretha has claimed Gravenberch’s self-belief as a young child amused his parents. She said: “It all started in a small sports hall, you were only four years old. I remember you walking up to us during one of the training sessions and saying: ‘I’m just good, I score all the time.’ Your father and I couldn’t stop laughing.”
His older brother, Danzell Gravenberch, is also a professional footballer. Like his brother, he also started in the Ajax academy. Danzell has played in the Netherlands, Romania, England – with Reading – Belgium and Cyprus. He is now back in his home country playing for FC Den Bosch, who are currently in the Dutch second division.
Gravenberch has credited his brother for making him into the player he is today. He said in an interview earlier this year: “When I was younger I just watched him (Danzell) play and when we were a bit older I would go with him to play on the streets and he’s a big boy so it was difficult for me. He toughened me up and I became stronger – he did everything for me.”
Speaking recently about Gravenberch’s form, Danzell told The Times: “My career has been different to Ryan’s but I think that helps our perspective. We can share a lot of experiences with each other. He has experienced different things to me and I think we can share a lot that just helps us make the most of our careers.
“He has confidence now, he gets the minutes and maybe the style they play now also fits him good. So maybe that is why he can bring his quality more.
After he moved, Ryan Snr met Aretha who he then married and brought up Danzell and Ryan Gravenberch. Away from the pitch, Ryan is in a happy relationship with Cindy Peroti. Cindy made the move to Merseyside with her long term partner and regularly shares her support for the Reds on Instagram.
Cindy has shared several pictures this season of her watching Liverpool games from the stands. The first snap she shared with the talented Dutchman was on the pitch at the Johan Cruyff Arena after Ajax had lifted the league title in 2022. She shared snaps of the two together on the pitch alongside a medal emoji.
Cindy made the move to Munich with Gravenberch when he joined the German champions in summer last year and issued a heartfelt tribute to her boyfriend as she said: “Up to a new chapter, so proud of you.”
When Gravenberch joined Liverpool in August 2023, she shared a snap alongside the midfielder as they both held the Red shirt. She said: “A new beginning.”
