Jordan Pickford offered an apology to Virgil van Dijk for the challenge that left the Liverpool defender with a serious knee injury back in 2020
Tempers flare between Liverpool and Everton players
The last Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park will take place on Saturday
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk gave Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford the cold shoulder when he tried apologising for the tackle that led to his serious knee injury. The Reds are making their final visit to Goodison Park this weekend before Everton move to their new home next season, and it's a return to the scene of the incident for Van Dijk.
The Dutch defender was forced off during the Merseyside Derby in 2020 after a collision with Pickford resulted in an ACL injury. This unfortunate event saw him miss the remainder of the 2020/21 season and his chance to lead the Netherlands in Euro 2020.
Van Dijk later rejected Pickford's attempts to help him up, responding dismissively. The Dutchman was heard saying "no" to Pickford while his former team-mate Sadio Mane was also on hand to make it clear the keeper's help wasn't needed.
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The incident caused further controversy, as Pickford was not penalised for the tackle because he was offside at the time of the collision. Jurgen Klopp was left perplexed by the lack of punishment, stating post-match: "It's not good. Virgil plays with pain, but he couldn't play on. It's not good."
He also commented on Pickford's challenge, saying: "Pickford kicks him completely. I need to watch it back. I've seen the disallowed goal at the end and in the picture I saw it wasn't offside. Can someone explain that to me?"
Jordan Pickford of Everton takes out Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool
The Everton goalkeeper's challenge kept Van Dijk out of action for nine months
After making a comeback the following season, Van Dijk chose not to dwell on the dreadful tackle that led to his injury, maintaining his bold approach to 50/50 challenges. "My injury was caused by a kick," he explained.
"It wasn't a moment when nobody was around. Actually, that made it a bit easier mentally to go all the way. Sometimes, it is at the back of your mind, but it is not something that really concerns me. It's certainly not like I'm afraid to go into a duel."
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