Liverpool and Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk has admitted he was too ’emotional’ when suggesting his careers for club and country could be coming to an end.
The defender insisted he would ‘think carefully’ about his future after the Netherlands’ last-gasp defeat to England in the semi-finals of Euro 2024, which came just after he lost the Premier League title race with the Reds.
Van Dijk said in July: “After such a season, where all sorts of things happened and also such a tournament where all sorts of things happened, where I myself also got all sorts of things thrown at me, then this just hurts.
“I do everything to win and then it gets emotional at the end, because you know it’s over. I have no idea at the moment [about my future]. I will think carefully this summer about what I want at club level and as an international. Then we will go for it again, but first recover from this.”
However, following the Netherlands’ 5-2 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Saturday night, Van Dijk told reporters he is a ‘fighter’ and is determined to prolong his spell at the top level.
“I understood that it was unclear how I felt about it,” Van Dijk said of his previous comments around his international future. “I was of course very disappointed after the match, then you are full of emotion.
“It may have seemed at the time that it could have been my last international match. But I am a warrior and a fighter and I will never just give up for the Oranje.
“Ultimately, you have to look at your own abilities and assess whether you are still important enough. I most certainly am. On the field and off it.
“I am the captain of Liverpool, a consistent factor and I feel excellent physically while I am improving on the ball too. I want to play another World Cup. I know I am still more than good enough.”
Though there is some clarity over his place in the Netherlands squad, Van Dijk’s Liverpool future remains unresolved with his contract up in 2025.
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