Dutch defender Virgil Van Dijk is no longer unanimous among his compatriots.
Liverpool and Netherlands defender Virgil van Dijk is no longer a top player in the world. This is what Dutch analysts Johan Derksen and Rene van der Gijp think.
“Van Dijk hasn’t been the same since his serious injury”
The pair are among many Dutch pundits who have grown tired of Van Dijk’s poor performances at international level. “I’m starting to get tired of this Dutch captain”Derksen said on television.
“When there is a lack of performance, he uses all kinds of excuses to explain what went wrong. Can he still keep up? No, he’s out of breath, he added. I never considered him a star. He looks good, but I don’t think he’s a very good defender. He was only strong in the air. He then plays the role of the so-called captain. He just kicks open doors and never says anything.”
Van der Gijp, for his part, said: “I really thought Van Dijk was a good defender: “I really thought Van Dijk was a great defender at the time when Liverpool won the Champions League. But I think he lost his splendor after his injury. It was a very serious injury. In the sprint duels you can just see that it has decreased. Sometimes he also seems hesitant.”
As a reminder, Van Dijk seriously injured his knee in October 2020 following a collision with Jordan Pickford during the Mersey derby against Everton. At the time, he was one of the best in his position. In 2019, he narrowly missed winning the Ballon d’Or. He was beaten by Lionel Messi by a handful of points.
