Liverpool's players were back at the club's training ground on Thursday, with goalkeeper Freddie Woodman sporting a new look which didn't go unnoticed by Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool's training ground
Virgil van Dijk roasted one of his teammates upon his return to Liverpool training(Image: Liverpool FC)
Virgil van Dijk roasted teammate Freddie Woodman as the Liverpool goalkeeper reported back to training with a fresh look.
The Reds were back at the AXA Training Centre on Thursday following the extended international break, with Sunday’s game against Manchester City the focus now. The meeting at Anfield looks set to have some added spice to it after City was found guilty of the majority of charges handed down to it by the Premier League.
Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola has a few issues to contend with ahead of the game, not least with Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo having both missed training after returning early from international duty with injuries.
The rest of his squad looks to have reported back in good health though, with Jeremy Jacquet showing no signs of the hamstring strain that kept him out of France’s game against Belgium on Monday, while Federico Chiesa was back in training after missing every game so far this season.
Club captain Van Dijk was in good spirits as well, having brought up his 100th cap for the Netherlands earlier in the week, and Woodman was catching strays from the defender almost immediately.
The goalkeeper was sporting a new haircut following the break, leading to Van Dijk poking fun at him as they were reunited on Thursday. Behind-the-scenes footage from the club’s training ground showed Van Dijk comparing Woodman’s new look to the character Sid from the film Toy Story.
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Virgil van Dijk and Freddie Woodman at Liverpool's training ground
Virgil van Dijk roasted Freddie Woodman for his new haircut(Image: Liverpool FC)
The pair were then seen asking Joe Gomez for his opinion, with Van Dijk urging him to give his “honest” response to Woodman’s haircut.
Gomez revealed he had already seen it in a group chat, with the goalkeeper claiming the defender had told him it had “taken years off my career”, to which Van Dijk admitted he looked “much younger”.
Woodman then asked the pair whether he should get a fade, to which Van Dijk responded: “You have to be careful, otherwise the hair don’t come back anymore.”
As he walked away, Woodman fired back: “It always comes back.”
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Van Dijk will be preparing for Liverpool’s return to action against City on Sunday, when he will be expected to lead the Reds out at Anfield as usual.
The 35-year-old could be in his final year at the club, with his contract set to expire at the end of the current season, and he has admitted he has already begun thinking about his eventual departure from Merseyside.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Van Dijk spoke about the emotions of lifting the Premier League title in 2025, which caused the interviewer, Patrick Davison, to admit he didn’t see him as an emotional character.
Van Dijk laughed and responded: “You’re going to see it though in the future eventually when I have to walk out of the club, and it will be a very emotional day. It’s been an incredible journey.”