Virgil van Dijk admitted he regrets hitting back at critics with a snappy comment after Liverpool beat Chelsea in the League Cup final last month. The legendary centre back scored the winning goal during extra time of the match, securing the Reds their first piece of silverware this season and ensuring Jurgen Klopp’s final campaign in charge won’t be trophyless.
But it was the Dutchman’s post-match comments that garnered all the attention, with Van Dijk caught on camera as saying ‘They thought I was finished’ – a response to sceptics who claimed his best days were behind him. The self-confident shrug that followed indicated a moment of vindication for Van Dijk, but, despite it going viral on Twitter and being lapped up by Liverpool fans, the defender now believes he was wrong to come out with such a statement.
“I shouldn’t have said that, because I don’t want to have the wrong intentions,” claimed the 32-year-old. “That was part of the emotion coming out of me because there were so many emotions going through my whole body that day. Last season was disappointing.
“Not disappointing in a way that I was bad, I didn’t feel like that at all, I was below my standards and the consistency wasn’t there that I have had and set for myself in each and every game. Maybe it was good to say because it gets it out of me, but I don’t like noise around me.”
Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League last term, missing out on Champions League football and ending the campaign a whopping 22 points off eventual champions Manchester City. That’s been all change this time around though, with the Merseyside outfit back battling it out for the Premier League title.
“The break helped massively in the summer and that brought me into good shape. I feel very comfortable this season in every aspect of the game, obviously confidence is a big driver when you play the game but in general I think I have made big steps in possession. The manager said the other day that it is not just as simple as wearing the armband and there are a lot of things that just clicked again. The responsibility I have has helped that, but I feel that I have made steps. I want to continue enjoying it and see what it leads to.”
He added: “I feel very comfortable this season in every aspect of the game. Obviously confidence is a big driver but in general I think I have made big steps in possession. The manager said the other day that it is not just as simple as wearing the armband and I think there are a lot of things that just clicked again.”
Van Dijk and Liverpool continue their quest for four trophies this season on Sunday afternoon, when the six-time European champions travel to Old Trafford for a mouthwatering FA Cup quarter-final. They enter the clash as heavy favourites, having lost one of their previous 21 matches across all competitions and won all six of their last FA Cup quarter-final fixtures.
