Virgil van Dijk has revealed he regrets his comments after the Carabao Cup final
The Liverpool star has hired a physio and chef as he looks to stay in top condition
The damage has already been done.
Virgil van Dijk has spent time studying legendary figures from other sports such as LeBron James, Novak Djokovic and Tom Brady as the Liverpool captain looks to unleash a new level to his game and remain at the top for many years to come.
The Dutchman insists basketball icon ‘King James’ carries the perfect slogan, ‘strive for greatness’, which sums up Liverpool’s fight for four trophies in a season where many – including Reds fans and staffers – were conservative with their trophy ambitions.
‘(LeBron and I) haven’t spoken but we have had messages passed between us,’ he said. ‘I like basketball. I look at all the top athletes at the highest level because they all have a big role, as a role model or for their team and community, and there are so many things you can learn.
‘The way they conduct themselves on the pitch or on court but also what they do in order to be great. There is LeBron, Djokovic, (Roger) Federer, Brady – I could name so many. I like to listen to these guys and learn how they dealt with being at the top and dealing with difficult moments.
‘That phrase LeBron uses is perfect. I definitely try to follow that because I want to achieve the most I can in life and get the maximum out of myself, the team and the position we are in. We are in a good place to do that this season – again.
Virgil van Dijk has revealed he regrets his comments after Liverpool’s Carabao Cup success
Virgil van Dijk has revealed he regrets his comments after Liverpool’s Carabao Cup success
The Liverpool defender has been studying legends from other sports such as LeBron James
The Liverpool defender has been studying legends from other sports such as LeBron James
Van Dijk has also studied tennis legend Novak Djokovic as he looks to remain at the top
Van Dijk has also studied tennis legend Novak Djokovic as he looks to remain at the top
‘Every season is always a challenge but this season we are in a special situation. There are no guarantees but we feel like it is quite special with the way we have overcome things as a group, like the news of the manager (leaving), red cards, injuries and we cannot forget the young boys.‘
Van Dijk has hired a personal team – including a physio and chef – to help him be in the best possible shape, after many rival fans accused him of being past his best following a nasty ACL injury. The 32-year-old posed with the Carabao Cup trophy and joked ‘they said I was finished’.
But the cup final match-winner says he regrets those provocative comments that made headlines – now he wants to instead focus on blocking out noise and leading Liverpool to as much success as possible this season.
‘I shouldn’t have said that,’ he added. ‘Because I don’t want to have the wrong intentions. 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.
‘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 (forward). I want to continue enjoying it and see what it leads to.’
Meanwhile, Van Dijk’s defensive partner Ibrahima Konate is a major doubt for the trip to Manchester United on Sunday after suffering a small setback in his hamstring injury. Ryan Gravenberch has returned to training and could be in the squad.
