Virgil van Dijk claims he has been “taken for granted” after Liverpool return from injury

Virgil van Dijk has battled back from a season-long injury and is now looking to help Liverpool win the Premier League, but has taken issue with the assumptions made after his return.

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Virgil van Dijk claims he will be back again and immediately hit the heights he reached before suffering a terrible injury.

The Liverpool The centre-back spent most of last season on the treatment table after hobbling during the Merseyside derby in October 2020.

He was knocked out by Jordan Pickford and suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Before that, he helped the Red Devils make their first statement Premier League title, 12 months after he won the PFA Player of the Year award and Champions League.

For many, the Dutchman is the best centre-back on the planet, often looking calm and assured in the back line.

Questions have certainly been raised as Van Dijk is unlikely to be 100 per cent after his return and the 30-year-old believes getting back to his best will never happen anytime soon. one-way.

Van Dijk and Liverpool will win this season? Have your say in the comments!

“It will always take time from pre-season until now,” he told Daily mail.

“I feel very good. I think the winter break has really given me, being away from my family, time to really relax, not thinking about football and the pressure we’re all under.

“Sometimes I feel a little belittled, like everyone is acting like nothing happened and everything is fine.

“I had to really shut down and figure it out in my head and make sure I told myself that things are going pretty well right now and be proud of that.

“It’s really not normal, after the injury I’ve had, to be able to play that number of games and the level that I’ve reached, in my opinion.”

Liverpool have conceded 20 times this season, giving them the third best defensive record behind City of Manchester and Chelsea.

Van Dijk admits there is an element of pressure sinking in as he wants to resume production for the Reds, but feels his best performances have been somewhat overlooked.

He added: “The games before the break, I felt I played well, but to stay in shape and also to be at the level that people expect of me is always like pressure.

“It’s something that played a part in my head a little bit, not much but still…

“Even if I had a good game, I feel like nobody appreciated it as much as they should.”

Van Dijk’s influence on Liverpool remains astounding, since his arrival they have won 50% of their matches without him but almost 75% when he is present.

“I have nothing to prove,” the Dutchman insisted. “It’s not because I feel like the best version of myself. It’s because I know I can be better.”