VIRGING ON THE RIDICULOUS

Van Dijk has been at Anfield for a month and experienced more highs and lows than most players do in a whole season

VIRGIL VAN DIJK could be forgiven for wondering just what he has let himself in for.

It has been only a month since his record-breaking move from Southampton to Liverpool but there has already been enough glory and heartache, agony and ecstasy, to fill an entire career.

In just four games the big Dutchman has gone from hero, with a last-gasp derby winner, to panto villain, with a rash challenge that gifted Spurs a 95th-minute penalty at Anfield on Sunday.

With defeats by the Premier League’s bottom two clubs in between, there has not been a quiet moment for the world’s most expensive defender.

When Van Dijk missed Liverpool’s epic victory over Manchester City through injury, critics openly wondered if he was really needed by Jurgen Klopp (right, with his new signing). And now Sunday’s mishap has allowed the snipers to load their weapons once more.

Yet the 26-year-old expected nothing else following his drawn-out £75million move from St Mary’s.

He said: “People will have their opinions but there is nothing I can do about that. Obviously, there are so many eyes on me because I have made such a big step. But it is a strength of mine to not really bother too much when people have their opinions, especially negative opinions.

“I know when I am doing well and when I am doing badly. Because of what happened against Spurs no-one will talk about my performance in general. But we defended very well and the two penalties given against us had a lot of question marks around them.”

And referring to England man Harry Kane, who got little joy out of the Liverpool defence, he said: “I know that as a team we did very well against one of the best strikers in Europe.”

For Van Dijk, such scrutiny goes hand in hand with a world-record price-tag and the hopes of an historic club.

And not only is that why he chose to come to Liverpool, but also why he is adamant they will deliver a top-four place this season. “I am full of confidence that we will get there,” he said.

“We should have won against Spurs but even though we only drew we showed the quality we have here. “You are always going to be judged but it is not like it is something really strange for me.

“I know that because I made such a big step, for a lot of money, everything that I do is going to be analysed.

“But no-one is going to focus on the good things that you do. Everybody is going to watch the bad things – that is how it is.

“But I am at a club with people who want to make me better, who can make me better. That is the way forward.”

Perhaps the strangest criticism of Van Dijk so far came from Liverpool old boy Jamie Carragher, who suggested the Holland star is overweight.

The defender, though, takes that in his stride as easily as his price-tag.

“I’ve not seen him, no, but he needs to come into the dressing room and he can see if I need to lose some weight because I don’t think I need to lose any,” he said.

“Look, I can’t do anything about what he said. I am enjoying every day here, training and playing with these guys, working with the manager.

“And I’m enjoying every bit of what the fans are doing for me, the way they are always supporting me.

“My family loves it as well and that is very important. But I am just keeping my head down and playing.”