Thanks captain, what Van Dijk could do for Gravenberch in Netherlands

It is well known on Merseyside that Ryan Gravenberch's arrival at Liverpool was made possible not only by the player's own interests, but also by each and every one of the recommendations made to him by his Netherlands team-mates Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo, the former Bayern Munich player trusting in the promises of the Reds captain, who could now do him a second favour for the FIFA call-up he chose to turn down in favour of remaining in Jurgen Klopp's squad.

After Ryan turned down the call-up by coach Koeman for the games against Greece and Ireland, a host of comments immediately began to emerge about the Reds midfielder's decision, with his coach making the most blunt statement, making it clear that he is not at all happy that he has refused to play for his country on this occasion.

Although it is rumoured that he declined his call-up simply because he was concentrating on his Liverpool debut, it is clear that the Netherlands camp is more than upset, with Koeman having a talk with his players and especially with captain Virgil van Dijk, an element that could help his now team-mate save himself from an exclusion from the Dutch squad by trying to calm his nerves.

The plan to save Gravenberch from a ban  

One of the few ways Ryan can justify his absence from the national team may be to seek an improvement in his level in his new adventure with the Reds, with an immediate adaptation to the country and the league essential to start performing well enough to win back the confidence of his Dutch coach, with Van Dijk a key player in this reconciliation, as his vote as captain could see him back in the squad soon.