Givairo Read: why the Feyenoord teenager is turning heads

There is only so much you can divine about a player from a compilation of video clips but, if the analytics align with the eyeball test, it is not hard to see why Givairo Read is on the radar of some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Since making his senior league debut for Feyenoord last September, the 18-year-old Dutchman has become an established fixture at right-back for Robin van Persie’s table-topping side. Quick, strong and athletic, Read has been compared to the likes of Kyle Walker and Reece James, which offers an idea not only of his playing style but also of his potential.

Not every teenager invites such parallels. But then not every teenager has the maturity and foresight to realise that sacrificing top-flight football for a return to the under-18s might be a good career move. That is what Read did when, having already made his Eredivisie debut for Volendam at the age of 16, he caught the eye of Van Persie while representing the Netherlands against England in an under-17 match. 

How did Givairo Read become a Feyenoord player?

Van Persie, who was in charge of Feyenoord’s under-18 side at the time, was ostensibly present to watch his son Shaqueel. But the former Arsenal and Manchester United striker could not divert his attention from the Dutch team’s buccaneering young right-back. In need of cover in that position for his own side, Van Persie made himself known to Read afterwards. It is a moment the full-back remembers well.

“I have to admit, I thought I performed well in that match,” Read recalled in an interview with the Dutch magazine Voetbal International. “It was one of those days when everything went right. I was lucky that Robin was looking for a right-back for his team.

“He said afterwards that he thought I stood out, and not long after, the club contacted my agent. I was already in talks with Volendam myself. In fact, the contract was ready, and I had more or less decided to stay. But I thought, ‘It never hurts to listen.’ So I went to talk to Robin. He convinced me.”

It was a gamble, but Read’s instincts served him well. Van Persie’s faith in the youngster soon caught the attention of the manager of the senior side, a certain Arne Slot, and it was not long before the future Liverpool manager invited Read to participate in first-team training. The youngster worked tirelessly in the gym to adapt to the physical demands of his newfound circumstances, and last February he made his senior Feyenoord debut as a substitute in a Europa League playoff draw with Roma.

How Arne Slot gave Givairo Read his senior debut at Feyenoord

“Strangely enough, I wasn’t nervous when Slot sent me out of the dugout to warm up,” said Read, recalling that night. “I didn’t even have time to realise what a big match it was. When I came on, I just played my game, like I always did for Volendam and Feyenoord Under-18s. So, go for it, attack, and be back in time to defend.”

Having taken the road less travelled to become a regular starter, Read now finds himself at an intriguing juncture. Bayern Munich and Manchester City are both understood to be monitoring his progress. Slot too remains a confirmed admirer, and was credited with interest earlier this year only to alight on Dutch international Jeremie Frimpong – a player whom Read says he enjoys watching – as his preferred replacement for the Madrid-bound Trent Alexander-Arnold.  

“Read has a number of qualities that I like,” the Dutchman said during his tenure in Rotterdam. “Fast footwork. [He is] also not afraid to play, which is important when you have to go to De Kuip.”

Now the question has become where Read goes next. He remains under contract with Feyenoord until 2029. Yet there have been so many twists and turns in the career of a player who started his journey as a striker with Amsterdam-based amateur club Zeeburgia, then played in midfield for Volendam before finding his calling as a Feyenoord full-back, that it would seem foolhardy to rule anything out.