Virgil van Dijk on how his success (and failure) at Liverpool can help The Netherlands win the World Cup
Despite being one of the world’s best defenders over five years, Qatar 2022 will be the Liverpool star’s first taste of a major international tournament.
Virgil van Dijk has goosebumps. It’s a Thursday afternoon, he’s just returned home after training and we’re reminiscing about our countries’ greatest World Cup moments. France ’98. The dying minutes of a nervous quarter-final against Argentina. Dennis Bergkamp. “We have a famous clip in Holland, where that goal was with the commentator on Dutch television… and it was goosebumps, still to this day when he scored. Wow,” says van Dijk.
The Dutchman’s hair is immaculately pinned back, as Liverpool fans are accustomed to seeing week in week out. It doesn’t matter who you support, Van Dijk is undeniably one of the best defenders in the world. Southampton and Celtic fans know only too well how good he is but since he joined Liverpool in 2018, his dominance in and around the penalty area has been duly recognised. He was voted UEFA Player of the Year in 2019 (the only defender ever to do so), and was runner up in the Ballon d’Or as Liverpool won the Premier League for the first time in 30 years. “I set the bar over the last couple of seasons so high that small margins of error get measured so big so it’s not easy to deal with,” he says of his rise. “So to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or [again in 2022] and be within the best 30 players of last season is something that I’m really proud of.”
As well as being a fantasy football shoe-in for anyone savvy enough to build a team around a tight defence, Virgil van Dijk is also a total gent. He knows the importance of saying please and thank you in life, and for every question asked, he responds with the same level of calm as he would, say, a dangerous long ball, or an attacking midfield running at him. He doesn’t jump in, he’s measured and considerate as we talk about everything from being a father to three daughters to being a leader to 11 men on a football pitch, as well as who he thinks are favourites for this World Cup (“Brazil, England and France”).
Let’s start with your greatest World Cup memory from childhood.I can’t say a Holland World Cup memory because we came very close of course, but have never won the World Cup. I think my first real memory was the World Cup in 2002, when Brazil won it against Germany. In general, that Brazil team was the team everyone looked at, including myself. Ronaldinho was my hero so I always looked at the games he’s played at Barcelona too. But the whole team, it was amazing to look at the joy they had, the freedom they played with, and the quality. Hopefully in Qatar we can make history with Holland as well.
And getting into the feels straight away, how do you think winning the World Cup would compare to the trophies you’ve won with Liverpool?I would be the happiest man in the world. The problem is I would be very emotional because I know where I come from, I know what I did in order to be where I am today, and the people close to me that helped. But it’s definitely a dream that hopefully comes true. Scoring at a World Cup is definitely a dream too.
How do you rate your chances?In my opinion, the team we have is a great mix of experience and talent, and the team spirit is incredible. We don’t have superstars and in some ways that could help, but so far we have been really enjoying playing with each other as a team, as a group. Being outside of the game as well, being together, doing loads of stuff together. So, we’ll see what the World Cup will bring. But I think everyone within the camp and within the group and the manager, is confident.
What’s it like being captain?To make my national team debut was a big dream that I never knew was going to happen. Then to become captain, that was a crazy feeling, a very proud feeling, that I will never, ever forget. I won’t take it for granted either. To be the captain for my country and for this group of players, at this time of where we’re at, this time with the National Team is a privilege. Hopefully, I’ll be leading the boys to some history that can be spoken about for many years, whenever we retire.
As captain, do you feel more responsible for how the team performs?Having responsibility is a nice feeling, I can’t lie. I feel important for the group and obviously on the pitch, but also outside of the pitch, and I want to feel that I can help each and everyone in any way. But I always feel that responsibility because of the position I play. At centre back, you have an overview of everything. With my voice as well, the height, you have the presence, you just have to use it. But the responsibility you have as a captain is huge and it helps to keep me sharp, ready, and on my toes.
Where does your winning mentality come from?There are so many quotes about ‘without losing or without failure you won’t succeed’, all these things. But it is really like this: you learn from situations that you go through. Obviously for me losing the [2018 Champions League] final in Kyiv was very hard. But then playing the year after the final again in Madrid, knowing what’s going to happen, the whole preparation, the whole build-up to the final, then playing the final, managing the final. You take failure with you and try to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.
How do you deal with personal setbacks?We live in a generation where social media is huge. I wish there was not a lot of social media at the moment, I think the world would be a better place. But it is how it is, and you have to deal with the comments, with people having an opinion of you. Sometimes I get questions from younger players about how you deal with negative criticism. People can make out that you are the best player in the world one week and next week they can slay you, so you have to deal with all these emotions. I try to help others not to focus on these things and focus on the people close to you. At the end of the day, you have to do it yourself because you are the only one that can influence performances and influence your mindset but if I can help even that 1 percent, I will try to do that.
You were injured for Euro 2020 and have never represented your country at an international tournament.It’s my first major tournament so I’m really, really excited to be out there, and representing Holland in the best way possible, leading the team, leading my boys out there. But I’m focused on getting as good as possible and as ready as possible for anything that’s coming tomorrow.
The Netherlands went so close in 2010, losing to Spain in the final. In 2014 you lost on penalties in the semis to Lionel Messi’s Argentina but then failed to qualify for 2018. What expectations do the fans have on you?I would say there’s always pressure on the national team. Over the years we’ve had fantastic players playing in the biggest leagues and doing well, winning Champions Leagues, all this stuff. So there’s always going to be pressure but there’s also always going to be the support that we need. We have a group in the World Cup that has Senegal, Qatar and Ecuador so It’s going to be tough. The whole country will say that’s going to be easy but it’s never easy at a World Cup so we have to take it game by game and focus on what’s ahead of us.
Who is your country’s greatest-ever World Cup star?I could say Johan Cruyff, but I’ve never really seen him play so I will say Dennis Bergkamp. We discussed the goal he scored against Argentina. But just in general how he was as a player. My first memories of him were in the Premier League in The Invincibles Arsenal team with Henry and Bergkamp, Vieira, Overmars. That was a great era for them and something we as Dutch people enjoy as well.
How has being a father changed you as a player?When the family is happy, that’s the most important thing. It doesn’t matter if you have a bad night, a bad day, a bad whatever. Being a father helps me with dealing with setbacks. If you made a mistake, that happens – we are human beings. Are you going to take it home with you? Are you going to be angry at your kids? No, because football is not life or death. Obviously it’s a very big part of my life, but it’s not the most important part of my life. Family is.