Virgil van Dijk has admitted to a poor start to the season for his club Liverpool and says he feels the heavy burden of responsibility as captain of club and country, the Netherlands.
But van Dijk suggested he had turned the corner, especially after a convincing performance for the Dutch against Poland in Warsaw on Thursday, where they all but secured top spot in their Nations League group and a place in next year’s finals with a 2-0 win. to win
FEET IN WARSAW! 😁 ✅#League of Nations #FILLED pic.twitter.com/hH6CMNIYcy
— OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) September 22, 2022
The performances of Van Dijk and Liverpool this season did not live up to expectations, as he later admitted to a journalist.
“I know that at the beginning of the season I could have performed better.”
“I’m not naive about it. I know very well when I make mistakes.”
He said that because of his role as a leader, it meant an even more intense spotlight when he played poorly.
“I also know that I am one of the important players in the club and of course also here in the national team. I feel this responsibility,” he said.
The centre-back says he was pleased with the way he dealt with the dip in form and the challenges that came with it.
Mentally it’s a challenge. You feel a lot of pressure on your head. Many people also forget about this, it is not easy to do. We all try to show our best, and when, in my case, you are one of the mainstays of the club, you get the criticism you deserve. You have to deal with it, and it’s not always easy. But I succeeded.”
Van Dijk says he felt Liverpool had turned a corner, although they are already nine points off the pace of the Premier League with two wins from their opening six games.
“We spoke well to each other, especially the week before the Champions League match against Ajax Amsterdam. That doesn’t mean it can’t happen again. But it is important, and I see it in the national team as well, that the attention is in one direction. This is the basis of success,” he added.
