Ryan Gravenberch is one of the rising football superstars in Europe. An elite midfielder, he has drawn comparisons to world-class Juventus player Paul Pogba.
The Dutch international was a new addition for English side Liverpool in the 2023–24 summer transfer window. He joined the Merseyside club from FC Bayern Munich.

Gravenberch also holds the accolade of being Ajax’s youngest player to feature in the Eredivisie.
Ryan Gravenberch’s profile summary
Full name: | Ryan Jiro Gravenberch |
Gender: | Male |
Date of birth: | 16th May 2002 |
Zodiac sign: | Taurus |
Place of birth: | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
Current residence: | Liverpool, England |
Nationality: | Dutch |
Ethnicity: | Black |
Religion: | Christian |
Sexuality: | Straight |
Height in feet: | 6’3 |
Height in centimetres: | 190 |
Weight in pounds: | 170 |
Weight in kilograms: | 77 |
Hair color: | Black |
Eye color: | Dark brown |
Mother: | Aretha Gravenberch |
Father: | Gravenberch (Sr) |
Siblings: | Danzell Gravenberch |
Relationship status: | Dating |
Partner: | Cindy Peroti |
Profession: | Footballer |
Net worth: | $2 million |
Gravenberch was born on 16th May 2002 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and plays for Liverpool FC.
He has also played for AVV Zeeburgia (2009-2010), Ajax Amsterdam (2010-2022), and Bayern Munich (2022-2023) in his brief career. Here are more details about the footballer.
1. He is of Afro-Surinamese descent
Ryan Gravenberch’s nationality is Dutch and Surinamese, owing to his parents’ South American heritage.
His parents, Aretha Gravenberch and Ryan Gravenberch (Sr), hail from Suriname on the northeastern tip of the Latin American continent.
The couple found each other after immigrating to the Netherlands, with his mother first settling in Amsterdam while his father resided in Rotterdam.
Although Ryan Gravenberch’s ethnicity is often misjudged as African owing to his dark skin tone, the Liverpool midfielder is Surinamese.
2. He was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Ryan was born on 16th May 2002 and raised in Amsterdam. Like most teenagers around the Dutch capital, he quickly fell in love with football. However, he began his football career at AW Zeeburgia before joining the Ajax Amsterdam youth system at 10.
Football is regarded as a heritage in the Netherlands, and Gravebberch grew up emulating icons such as Zinedine Zidane, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi.
3. He joined Liverpool FC on deadline day
On deadline day, Ryan Gravenberch completed a £34.2 million ($43m) move from Bayern Munich.
The Liverpool midfielder was part of Jurgen Klopp’s £165.4 million transfer window shopping list in a summer transfer spree that also saw Japanese International Wataru Endo join the Mersey club.
Ryan Gravenberch’s playing style was compared to France’s Star Paul Pogba. Before joining Liverpool, he was widely associated with elite clubs such as Real Madrid and Manchester United.
4. He is under a five-year contract at Liverpool

Gravenberch joined the Merseyside club in a 40 million deal from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
He had previously signed for German club FC Bayern Munich for £18 million from Ajax in June 2022.
5. He is Ajax’s youngest debutant in Eredivisie history
The footballer is a child prodigy of Ajax’s Youth Academy. After being spotted by one of Ajax’s scouts, Gravenberch was quickly promoted to the club’s Under-16 side aged 13 years old.
Under Erik Ten Hag, he made his senior debut on September 23, 2018, becoming the youngest Ajax debutant in Eredivisie history.
Although Gravenberch’s debut was in a 3-0 loss to PSV, he was only 16 years and 130 days, surpassing Clarence Seedort’s previous record.
Moreover, he became the youngest Ajax goal scorer three days later and opened up his UEFA Champions League tally on 25 September 2020 against Midtjylland.
6. His brother is also a professional footballer
The midfielder comes from a sporting family, with his parents and older brother all playing football.
Gravenberch’s parents played amateur football while his older brother Danzell Gravenberch plies his trade in the Dutch second tier as a forward with De Graafschap.
7. His lucky number is 38
Ryan Gravenberch’s position is in the midfield, and he dons the Jersey number 38 for his current club, Liverpool FC. Asked why he dons the number 38 on a Sky Sports interview, the Liverpool midfielder touted the number as special.
Gravenberch made his Ajax debut with jersey number 38 and associates the number with a lucky charm. He has continued to don it at FC Bayern Munich and Liverpool FC.
8. He was among the late Mino Raiola’s clientele list
The Italian-Dutch agent Mino Raiola is responsible for instigating the £34.2 million move to Liverpool. Mino Raiola was a super-agent for huge players like Denis Bergkamp, Paul Pogba, and Zlatan Ibrahimović, among others.
He was well-vested in 7 languages, including English, German and French. He died at age 54 from an illness, and his successor, Rafaela Pimenta, took over the clients.
9. He made his EPL debut as a substitute against the Wolves
The Dutch midfielder debuted for Liverpool as a substitute for Mohammed Salah against Wolverhampton away at Molineux.
He, however, had to wait for his first Liverpool goal, which came against Union Saint Gilloise in the UEFA Europa League.
10. He won the inaugural Abdelhak Nouri Trofee at Ajax

Ryan isn’t short of accolades in his trophy cabinet. The Dutch international won the Abdelhak Nouri Trofee Award, honouring top talent from the Ajax Academy on June 7, 2018.
Since winning the award, he quickly rose through the ranks and has lifted The Bundesliga, DFL-Supercup, KNVB Cup, Eredivisie, and a UEFA European U-17 Championship.
11. He is dating Cindy Peroti
The Dutch footballer is reportedly rumoured to be dating Cindy Peroti. The pair have often been seen together in public and social media posts. The most recent upload on Instagram showcased Cindy holding The Reds shirt with Gravenberch.
Gravenberch introduced himself to Liverpool fans by scoring a goal in the UEFA Europa League shortly after his £34.2 million transfer from Bayern Munich.