Liverpool have started the new Premier League season on a positive note, sitting at the top of the table with four wins from six matches.
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Liverpool fans must be really glad to see Virgil van Dijk playing in their defence once again. After missing most of last season due to an injury, the Dutchman hardly took any time in settling down in his role at the heart of the defence this campaign. Van Dijk has played an important role in defence, helping Liverpool start the new Premier League season on a positive note. The Reds are sitting at the top of the table with four wins from six matches. After beating Porto convincingly in the Champions League, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City will next visit Anfield.
Speaking about the confidence the team gained from the emphatic victory over the Portuguese side, van Dijk told Liverpoolfc.com, “Obviously talking about that game, it was a very, very good game for us. Great result away from home, six points out of two games in the Champions League – so far, so good in that case. But obviously we know how tough a game it’s going to be on Sunday against the reigning champions. So, we have to be very good to beat them, to get a good result. But we’re looking forward to it. A full stadium, a full Anfield, it’s going to be a special one, I think.”
When assessing his own performance in the first few months of the season, Virgil van Dijk said, “Obviously there’s room for improvement, and I think that’s a good thing. We’re top of the league at the moment, as a club, and with the Champions League we’re doing well. We’re doing well and for me personally as well, I made good progress in getting back to full fitness. The only way to get there is to play games, to learn from situations that happen in games – obviously in training as well but it’s sometimes difficult to replicate training into games. But I’m trying everything, doing everything that’s possible to get as good as I can, as quick as I can without doing things too much. So far I’m very happy with the progress I’ve made and I’m not there yet.”
“I think there’s still loads to come. Anyone who knows about having a knee injury and being out for such a long time knows that it will take up to, even after you’re back playing, another year maybe before you are fully, fully recovered. But everyone’s body is different, everyone’s knee is different, everyone’s recovery is different. So far I feel good and I’m just happy that the manager is putting his trust in me to put me out there, giving me the opportunity to get better as well. I feel good but there is always room for improvement, and I feel like it’s on the way.”
Virgil van Dijk also spoke about playing alongside defender Joel Matip and the rest of his teammates. “Not only him, of course, but he’s a special, special character and we all appreciate him in our group. Not only for his qualities – because he’s an unbelievable defender – but as a human being as well. He’s how everyone should take life, I think – very easy, be nice and put a lot of things in perspective. We all appreciate him. But it’s just been good being around everyone. The rest of the boys, the work we put in, the fun that we have around the games, it’s just good to be around each other and I’m enjoying every bit of it,” he added.
