Virgil van Dijk is normally one of the most relaxed and approachable players you will ever see in a press conference.
But there was a fascinating moment during his latest Netherlands media duties when one journalist decided to push him a little further.
And Van Dijk’s response at the end?
Brilliant.
The journalist began by suggesting that Van Dijk seemed reluctant to be there.
“Doesn’t it seem like you’re here reluctantly?”
Van Dijk immediately challenged the suggestion.
“What do you mean?”
The journalist continued, pointing out that the Liverpool captain was giving shorter answers than usual.
“Normally you’re sympathetic and chatty, aren’t you?”
Van Dijk responded:
“Well, sometimes things need to be said. You can’t listen to constant whining. Right?”
That was already a pretty interesting answer.
But the journalist wasn’t finished.
He suggested that Van Dijk was brushing questions off and that his relationship with the media appeared to be bothering him.
Van Dijk wasn’t having that either.
“I have no problem with most of the media, and I never have.”
But then he explained what was actually frustrating him.
“Sometimes nonsense and lies get written. What can I do?”
And that is probably the most revealing part of the entire exchange.
Van Dijk wasn’t saying he has a problem with journalists.
He was saying he has a problem with things being written about him that he believes aren’t true.
The journalist then suggested that if he had an issue with someone, he could simply speak directly to them.
And that’s when Van Dijk delivered the line that had me laughing.
“I’m already talking to that person right now.”
Brilliant.
No shouting.
No rant.
No big confrontation.
Just one perfectly timed sentence.
And you could almost feel the conversation change immediately.
This is something I’ve always found interesting about Van Dijk.
He generally comes across as incredibly composed in front of the cameras.
He has been Liverpool captain for years.
He’s dealt with criticism, pressure, injuries, huge expectations and some pretty difficult moments during his career.
He knows how the media works.
But that doesn’t mean he has to agree with everything that gets written about him.
And I actually think there is an important distinction in what he said.
He didn’t say he dislikes the media.
In fact, he specifically said he has no problem with most of them.
His issue is with what he considers to be “nonsense and lies”.
That’s a pretty different thing.
And perhaps the journalist was expecting Van Dijk to become defensive or irritated.
Instead, the Liverpool captain remained completely calm and simply turned the question back around.
The irony is that Van Dijk had already explained why he was giving shorter answers.
Sometimes things need to be said.
And maybe that’s exactly what happened here.
He wasn’t being difficult for the sake of it.
He wasn’t refusing to answer questions.
He simply wasn’t going to sit there and pretend everything was fine if he felt certain things being written about him weren’t accurate.
For a player who has spent so many years dealing with the spotlight, I can understand that.
There is also something quite refreshing about Van Dijk being so direct.
We hear footballers give the same carefully prepared answers over and over again.
“It’s about the team.”
“We take it game by game.”
“We’ll give 100 per cent.”
And then occasionally you get a moment like this.
A journalist pushes.
Van Dijk pushes back.
And suddenly you get to see a little more personality.
“I’m already talking to that person right now.”
That’s the sort of answer that tells you everything without needing a long explanation.
And considering Van Dijk has just decided to continue his international career with the Netherlands, it is clear that he still has plenty of confidence in himself and plenty to say.
He’s still Liverpool’s captain.
He’s still the Netherlands captain.
And clearly, he’s still perfectly capable of handling a press conference on his own terms.
Virgil van Dijk doesn’t need to shout to make his point.
Sometimes ten words are enough.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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