Virgil van Dijk has revealed he has no plans to finish his career in the Eredivisie, insisting he will never again play at club level in his homeland.
The Liverpool defender hasn’t played in the Netherlands since 2015, when he left Groningen to sign for Celtic. Since then, he has established himself as the world’s most consistent center-back and has won every major honor at Liverpool.
Now Netherlands captain, Van Dijk is expected to lead his country out against Malta on Tuesday in a World Cup qualifier back at the Euroborg Stadion, Groningen’s home ground, having played against Finland on Saturday.
Speaking ahead of the match, Van Dijk wasn’t exactly praising the virtues of Dutch soccer, certainly at club level.
Asked whether he could see himself playing again at Groningen, or in the Eredivisie, the 33-year-old shook his head and replied: “I am very clear about that. I am not coming back to the Netherlands.
“I started here, so it was very important to me. But I am clear that I will not return to the Netherlands.”
Virgil van Dijk celebrates winning the Premier League title
Van Dijk has no plans to return to the Netherlands (Image: Getty Images)
Asked to clarify those comments, Van Dijk responded succinctly: “I am quite proud of my career so far and I think that finishing in the Eredivisie is not on top of that.”
The experienced defender signed a two-year contract extension at Anfield in April, at the end of which Van Dijk will be 35.
He was the subject of interest from several sides this season as his contract at Liverpool edged towards its expiration. Van Dijk turned down a lucrative deal from Saudi Arabia, opting to remain at Europe’s top table.
The former Southampton is showing no signs of slowing down despite his advancing years. He played every minute of Liverpool’s Premier League season up until the title was clinched.
Van Dijk missed one game in total: the 3-2 loss at Brighton.
The Netherlands national team.
Four Liverpool players started for the Netherlands against Finland (Image: Getty Images)
He played the full 90 minutes on Saturday as the Netherlands began its World Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-0 win over Finland. He was one of four Liverpool players in the line-up along with Ryan Gravenberch, Jeremie Frimpong and Cody Gakpo.
Frimpong, the latest member of the Dutch contingent at Liverpool, revealed how Van Dijk helped convince him to from Bayer Leverkusen this summer.
"Virgil has called me and told me a little bit more about Liverpool and the expectations, those types of things," the 24-year-old explained.
"And made me feel like the guys are going to welcome me well. That’s what I expect from Virgil with how he is in the national team – he’s a big character, captain."