The Reds reportedly view 'the new Denzel Dumfries' as a potential long-term successor to their Real Madrid-bound right-back
It's been a bitterly frustrating season for Feyenoord. The Dutch side reached the last 16 of the Champions League, upsetting the likes of Bayern Munich and AC Milan along the way, but they're now in very real danger of failing to secure a spot in next season's competition, with Feyenoord currently clinging onto the final qualification berth in the Eredivisie, sat just a point clear of fourth-placed Utrecht.
However, the Rotterdam-based outfit have started to find some form under new coach Robin van Persie – who took over from interim boss Pascal Bosschaart on February 24, a fortnight after the dismissal of Arne Slot's successor, Brian Priske – and an 18-year-old right-back has played a big role in lifting the sense of doom and gloom around De Kuip.
Indeed, the emergence of Givairo Read as a first-team regular has arguably been the most positive aspect of Feyenoord's 2024-25 campaign. The only problem is that the youngster has attracted plenty of Premier League interest over the past few months. As a result, GOAL is here to tell you everything you need to know about a player presently being touted as a possible long-term replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold at Anfield…
Where it began
Read was born and raised in Bijlmer, which is located on the southern outskirts of Amsterdam. He started out playing football for nearby amateur outfit Zeeburgia, but was picked up by FC Volendam at the age of 11.
He progressed rapidly through the club's youth sector and was still only 16 when he was handed his Eredivisie debut by former Ajax and Netherlands midfielder Wim Jonk, who introduced Read for the final five minutes of a 2-1 win over Fortuna Sittard on March 17, 2023.
By that stage, he was already representing the Netherlands at Under-17 level, and it was during a European Championship qualifier against England 11 days after his Volendam bow that he first came to the attention of Van Persie. The former Feyenoord striker, who had just taken charge of the club's Under-18s, had gone to the game at the Sportpark Nieuw Zuid to watch his son Shaqueel in action, but he couldn't help but be impressed by the home side's right-back.
"I have to admit that I also thought I did well in that match," Read told . "It was one of those days when everything went well and I was lucky that Robin was looking for a right-back for his team.
"He said afterwards that he thought that I had stood out, and not much later Feyenoord contacted my agent. I was already in talks with Volendam. In fact, the contract there was ready and I had more or less decided that I would stay. However, I thought, 'listening never hurts', so I went to speak with Robin. He’s a very good talker and I began to have doubts.
"At Volendam, I would be in the first team, but in Rotterdam I would have to first join Feyenoord's Under-18s. So, I would have to take a step back, with the intention of taking two steps forward in the future. That was a risk, but I thought it was worth the gamble. I really wanted to play under Robin and he immediately put me in the team. He gave me a lot of responsibility and the great thing was that Robin wanted to play very attacking football, exactly like Wim Jonk at Volendam, so that made it easy for me to adapt."
AdvertisementThe big break
It wasn't long before Read's performances for Van Persie's Under-18s caught the eye of Slot, who invited the teenager to train with the senior squad before he'd even played a game for Feyenoord's Under-21s. Read even travelled with the first team to Marbella for their winter training camp, and when Slot found himself short on cover at right-back for the first leg of the Europa League play-off with Roma on February 15, 2024, the teenager was named on the bench for the game at De Kuip.
"Lutsharel Geertruida was ill, so Bart Nieuwkoop started at right-back," Read explained. "I immediately had the feeling that I might make my debut and the great thing was that Geertruida thought so too. He sent me a text message before the match: 'Get ready, there is a big chance that you will come on. Show what you have worked so hard for all this time and make your family proud.' I thought that was very nice, a really wonderful gesture from a real captain.
"Strangely enough, I wasn't nervous when Slot sent me out of the dugout to warm up. I also didn't have time to realise what a big match it was.
"When I came on, I just played my game as I always did at Volendam and Feyenoord Under-18s: attack whenever I can but be back in time to defend. It was an exciting match, it ended 1-1, but only afterwards do you realise how special it was: Roma, with all that history with Feyenoord, and Jose Mourinho on the bench… I enjoyed it!"
How it's going
Read also enjoyed working under Slot, whom he credits with helping him both "develop quickly" and settle easily in the senior squad. However, following Slot's move to Merseyside last summer, Read went into the 2024-25 season as Feyenoord's third-choice right-back and wasn't even included in Priske's squad for the first phase of the Champions League. However, injuries to Nieuwkoop and Jordan Lotomba offered Read the chance to stake a claim for a starting spot – and he's taken it with both hands.
Read did a fantastic job marking AC Milan star Rafael Leao on his Champions League debut in February, while he has racked up six assists in his last six appearances for Feyenoord. He even made a little bit of history by creating three goals in the same game, against Twente last month, and Van Persie was astounded that Read wasn't rewarded for his fantastic form with a place in the Netherlands U21s squad for the March international break.
"It is up to [manager] Michael Reiziger to make that decision and maybe he has someone else who is even better but I can't imagine that he does," the ex-striker said. "I haven't heard anything either, so I also don't know if Reiziger has my number. But he can get it anytime!"
In fairness to Reiziger, it wasn't really his call, as the Dutch football federation (KNVB) quite reasonably felt that it would be better for Read to help the U19s qualify for this summer's European Championship (which he did as captain) rather than play a couple of meaningless friendlies for the U21s.
The whole furore, which generated plenty of debate in the Dutch media, only served to underline just how much excitement surrounds a defender that some pundits believe could put himself in a position to challenge for a place in the Netherlands squad for the 2026 World Cup if he maintains his current rate of progress.
Biggest strengths
As underlined by his recent hat-trick of assists, Read is terrific going forward. He's quick, can beat a man and is a deadly crosser of the ball. He may not boast Alexander-Arnold's ridiculous range of passing, but he's got a great right foot capable of picking out runners with raking passes from deep positions.
Encouragingly, he's also acutely aware of the importance of the defensive side of his role. "You always have to get back, you can't let your defence suffer," he says. "That requires not only fitness, but also insight and communication. I have players around me who coach me well."
Personality-wise, Read is humble but hungry, desperate to soak up as much information and advice as possible to improve as quickly as he can.
Perhaps most impressively of all, he's utterly fearless, with Read admitting that only once has he ever felt nervous before a game, ahead of his first appearance in De Klassieker (Feyenoord-Ajax) earlier in this season, and even in that instance, he was exhilarated rather than inhibited.
It's hardly surprising, then, that while Van Persie loves everything about Read's game, it's his attitude that impresses him most. "When you see how Givi picks things up, how he trains and how he plays, that's extra enjoyable for me," the Premier League winner said.
