Virgil van Dijk has reflected on the heartbreak of Liverpool’s 2025/26 campaign and the scenes which saw him sat alone in front of the Kop on the final day.
As the Liverpool squad said their goodbyes to Anfield after the final game of the season, Van Dijk pitched himself near the centre circle alone.
The captain stayed there for an extended period facing the Kop: a striking visual as the Dutchman sat by himself while two long-serving team-mates Mo Salah and Andy Robertson bid farewell.
It came as a moment of reflection for Van Dijk, who told Voetbal International that it marked the end of the “toughest season of my career.”
Virgil van Dijk sat alone for a long time as he watched his teammates slowly leave the pitch after Liverpool's last game of the season. pic.twitter.com/d3EEf4c6wD
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“That is clear. Especially mentally. It just kept going up and down,” the Netherlands captain explained.
“We almost never had the consistent feeling and level you strive for.
“As a group, as a club, as a player, as a person. As a team, we had very good matches, and then suddenly things went downhill again. Then you basically can’t go on.
“When I suffered a serious knee injury six years ago, it was tough too. But then you are very focused on yourself and you have some influence over it.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, December 27, 2025: Dinis and Duarte, Diogo Jota's children, as mascots with Liverpool's captain Virgil van Dijk before the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“This year, a lot has come our way at Liverpool, from the moment I got the call with the terrible news about Diogo right up to the last match, in which we said goodbye to Mo Salah and Andy Robertson.
“I sat on the grass watching those two guys, with whom I had played for eight years.”
Van Dijk added: “There will still be moments when I have to come to terms with everything.
“That will be very tough. I know that already. I haven’t really been able to think about everything that happened this past season yet.”
Those last comments show the grief which bubbled under the surface of Liverpool’s campaign, players with no option but to carry on despite the tragic loss of a friend and team-mate.
Much of the responsibility fell on Van Dijk, who remained one of the top performers despite often acting as a crutch for those struggling, mentally and physically, around him.
“I had an enormous sense of responsibility. That’s fine, I take on that role,” the centre-back continued.
Captain Virgil Van Dijk and Andy Robertson led Liverpool’s tributes at the funeral of team-mate Diogo Jota (Manu Fernendez/AP)
“But sometimes I might have taken on a bit too much. That’s not easy to deal with.
“But anyway, for me that’s very normal. I take a lot away from others. You learn from that too.
“Look, I am the captain of one of the most beautiful clubs in the world. I take that very personally. Because I love Liverpool. So it hurts even more.”