Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
KOP BEFORE COUNTRY
Dutch star Van Dijk admits his Liverpool return was ‘more important’ than playing in the Euros
VIRGIL VAN DIJK has revealed how he put club before country last summer – and insisted that Liverpool will continue to come first.
The Kop’s brilliant Dutch defender admitted how he aimed to make his comeback from the knee injury that sidelined him for most of his club’s title defence last season by playing for Holland at the Euros.
But Van Dijk ultimately decided to put the needs of
Jurgen Klopp ahead of his dream of playing for his country at a major international tournament for the first time.
He insists he would do the same again as he prepares for next winter’s World
Cup.
Van Dijk said: “I had my eye on the European
Championship for so long
– the focus on that remained.
“I am someone who always wants to know everything, so I talked to surgeons, physios and players who had been through it before.
“I wanted to know how they were doing during their rehab and when they no longer felt anything in their knee and how they dealt with setbacks.
“The outside world puts you under pressure and because of that you also put yourself under pressure.
“At a certain point, I found out that every rehabilitation is different and that you cannot determine yourself how quickly you return.
“One day, I sat around the table with the surgeon and my wife Rike. At that moment, I decided my focus had to be about preparing for the new season with Liverpool. Any small setback would push me further away from the European Championships, so it was best to make that decision.
“I also thought about being with Holland’s squad during the Euros, but even that didn’t feel right.
“Further rehabilitation and the focus on my return to Liverpool was more important.”
Van Dijk has been back to his best this season – and is delighted with his form, despite Liverpool’s failure to keep pace with
Manchester City at the top of the
Premier League.
Klopp’s side are 11
points behind the champions, but the German boss has guided his team into the last 16 of the Champions League and the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.
Today, the Covid-ravaged Merseysiders face Shrewsbury in the FA Cup, with their manager recovering from the effects of the virus after being forced into isolation last weekend.
Van Dijk, in an interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, said: “I have set the bar high myself.
“When you’re on the pitch, everyone thinks that you’re 100 per cent and I understand that.
“Whether you have been ill or were out for a year due to a serious injury does not count for the outside world.
“You’ve won all those awards and so that’s become the standard.
“I do my very best at this club and try to play the best match I can play every week.
“There are certainly times when it could have been better, but I am human and everyone makes mistakes.
“I know that I do everything I can to stay at the top level, but we live in an age when everyone has an opinion, especially when it comes to social media.
“That can have an impact on your well-being. You can easily go under.
“Football is superimportant in my life, but there is still something above.
“That’s my family. As long as there’s nothing wrong with them, I can manage everything else well.”