Liverpool’s Euro 2024 players are finally enjoying some time off after a busy end of season.
It must have felt like a long campaign for the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cody Gakpo and Virgil van Dijk, all of whom went deep into the tournament.
At least Alexander-Arnold and Gakpo have relative youth on their side, though. At 33, Van Dijk played every minute of the Netherlands’ six games in Germany.
It was not Van Dijk’s best set of matches, with Gakpo showing him up in a big way. But, nevertheless, the Liverpool captain led his country to a first Euros semi-final in 20 years.
As he now prepares to return to Anfield and begin Arne Slot’s reign as head coach, Van Dijk continues to be critiqued back home in the Netherlands.
Ryan Babel comes to Virgil van Dijk defence
After the Dutch lost to England in the semi-final, Van Dijk said he was considering his international future.
For the time being, it would still be a surprise if the centre-back walked away from representing his country, but perhaps it could happen.
If Virgil does decide to call it quits, then the Dutch national media will lose a scapegoat. Van Dijk has been lambasted by the press in his homeland over the past two years at least.
As leader of the team, the No.4 will know he is a figurehead and an easy target for criticism. He’s dealt with a lot of it before and knows that it’s part and parcel of the game.
Speaking to The Redmen TV though, former Liverpool winger Ryan Babel has claimed that he’s found the stuff directed at Van Dijk ‘very annoying.’
READ MORE: What Jude Bellingham did when he saw Virgil van Dijk after England vs Netherlands
“I feel like the Dutch media always try to find someone to blame,” Babel laments. “You would almost believe that they did not support the Dutch team the way they write about them.
“It’s unfortunately the way the Dutch media has been programmed. Even if they did an amazing job they would still find reasons why it could have been much better or why it was not good enough,” he adds.
“They had ambitions of course to reach the final, it didn’t happen. Then someone needs to take the blame for it.
“Virgil was one of the major players that they criticised alongside Memphis [Depay] and a few other players. I’m sure it didn’t bother him, he’s used to it. But it’s very annoying to see that once things don’t go well it’s easy to start pointing fingers.”
When Virgil Van Dijk will be back at Liverpool
Van Dijk cut a really despondent figure after his team’s loss against England. As you might expect, Virgil was in no mood to talk to the media.
While he is often derided by the Dutch though, at least Van Dijk knows he can find a safe haven once back in Liverpool.
The former Southampton defender is revered at Anfield and deservedly so. Hopefully he can shake the Euros out of his system while on holiday and return refreshed and ready to go again.
Unfortunately for fans hoping to see Van Dijk out in America though, it looks unlikely that they will be in luck. The skipper is one of at least nine players who look set to miss the tour this summer.
Van Dijk is currently slated for a return to Merseyside on around the 4th of August, less than two weeks before the opening game at Ipswich.
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