Virgil van Dijk: "I'm never nervous. If you are nervous, you limit your quality "| Soccer

Virgil van Dijk thinks of words like tension and nervousness with a small smile, in the spotted shadow, far from the rays of the Spanish sun. This is supposed to be the toughest time, with the days running slowly between the end of the regular season and the final of the Liverpool Champions League against Tottenham in Madrid next Saturday night.

Van Dijk was named PFA player of the season by his professional colleagues, after his compelling form at the heart of Liverpool's defense allowed his club to lose only one match in a championship campaign that brought them home. points. They still finished one point behind Manchester City, and their wait to win the title of the league continues in a thirtieth year.

The victory over the Spurs and the title of European Champion for the sixth time would seal a remarkable season for Van Dijk and Liverpool. A defeat and even more disappointment after losing the final last year is overwhelming. The contrast between the two results is so deep that even a man as composed as Van Dijk has to fight in the interior?

"No," insists the 27-year-old. "I'm never nervous anymore."

This "plus" is significant because it is striking to hear Van Dijk reflect on the doubts that had once undermined it. In the Netherlands, he was considered a relatively limited player by many coaches who did not imagine that his rise would become the best defender in the world. The road was long and difficult, but out of adversity, Van Dijk is as calm during a fevered match as off the field.

"With the experience," he says, "nervousness is not at the rendezvous. When I made my Liverpool debut against Everton [in January 2018] I was more excited than nervous. I surprised myself that day with my calm. "

In addition to scoring the winning goal in front of the Kop, Van Dijk immediately reduced the pressure he could have absorbed after arriving at Anfield as the most expensive defender in the world. The £ 75 million paid to Southampton now looks like a cautious household. Van Dijk turned Liverpool's defense so far so virulent that they conceded the fewest goals, 22, in the league last season.

"It's more exciting than nervous these days," he continues. "Even before the final of the Champions League last year [against Real Madrid] I was not nervous at all. I was very relaxed. I was like, "Let's go, let's do this."

At Liverpool's training camp near Estepona on the Costa del Sol, Van Dijk shakes his head with joy. "I do not know what it is, it's just something I've learned over the years and it's something that makes me very happy." If you're nervous, you think, "I do not want to make a mistake or give the balloon. "But then you limit your own qualities.Through years, I have developed the feeling that there are many more important things in life. "

Van Dijk remembers dreaming of playing in a Champions League final when he was a child in Breda with a Dutch father and a mother from Suriname. However, on the Cruyff Courts, small artificial turf pitches, Van Dijk was not a sparkling tie in the belts of Dutch footballers after Johan Cruyff – who played and led the match so well.

He found a different course than the young talented players of Ajax, which he now heads with the Netherlands and who nearly reached the Champions League final. Van Dijk is also different from Trent Alexander-Arnold, his teammate in Liverpool, who was playing in a second Champions League final at age 20. At age 20, Van Dijk was struggling to be part of the first team in Groningen, never breaking him at the Willem II academy. He even worked as a dishwasher two nights a week.

Has his determination been forged during this difficult time? "Yeah, I think it's a very good example to never give up Keep working for your dreams Every step of my career was hard work, I gave it all but I still have a lot to do to do in every aspect of my game. Maybe they were right at the time. Maybe it was because they did not want to take chances with me. As a young player in the academy of a middle-of-the-table club, the next step is one of the top four teams .It was also my plan, but that was not the case. "

Marc Overmars was lucky enough to sign Van Dijk for Ajax but he rejected the defender. "These things happen," said Van Dijk diplomatically. "They chose Mike van der Hoorn, who now plays for Swansea. He did very well at the time. It's easy to say now, "What if?"

Van Dijk was then not serene. "No. I wanted things very quickly, when I went to Groningen I started in the under 23s and I was on the bench and I thought," What's going on he here? "I went to see the director, Dick Lukkien, and I was arguing with him, saying," How is that possible? "But I learned a lot from that period. that being human.

"It was the first time I was alone and I had to learn how to manage to not succeed. I went to train my bike. It was the same the next season. Fortunately, I continued to work hard, to progress, and I'm still in touch with Dick, FC Emmen's head coach. He is a fantastic coach who has made the most of myself. He pushed me because he knew I could be a little lazy. He knew that my mentality was then to do just enough to win challenges. He did not stop pushing me and sometimes made me angry. It was hard but it worked. Before the end of the season, I made my debut in the first team. I am so grateful to Dick. "

In 2011, Van Dijk spent two weeks in the hospital after a burst of his appendix and developed severe peritonitis. His life was briefly in danger. "I do not want to talk about it," he said softly. However, Van Dijk is friendly and, after a break, he speaks. "It was not easy. It's a time when I took care of myself for the first time in my life. I could not cook. I lived with another player and if you are young, you think it's easy. We have just received training. We will not try to cook. We go somewhere to eat. After eating so much, the appendix was hit. I kept eating bad things. The appendix broke out and it was a very difficult time. I have learned so much about food and we should value every situation we find ourselves in. "

He could not walk for 10 days and apparently signed a will to leave little he had to his mother. "When something like that happens, you think a lot and today I appreciate everything we have. I know that life is much more than football. We have family and everything is about happiness and health. "

Van Dijk played 62 games with Groningen, but his career took off when he moved to Celtic. He laughs when asked about the change of culture in Glasgow. "It was huge. I spoke English quite well but the Scottish accent is totally different. I remember that at first, people were talking and I nodded, saying yes. But going to Celtic was fantastic for me even though it was the same situation as me in Holland. [Bigger] The clubs doubted my abilities as they thought the level was not so high in Scotland. I have continued to work hard and have always believed in myself. And the Celtic fans are incredible. They live and die for their club. It's something I like, real fans, a real passion. That's why I also decided to come to Liverpool. "

He may have been immune to nerves, but earlier this month Van Dijk was unable to control his racing spirit or the adrenaline that ran through him all night after Liverpool defeated Barcelona 4- 0 to reach the final of the Champions League. "I could not sleep much – maybe two hours. It was totally crazy. As soon as we arrived at the stadium, you felt that it could be something special. When Divock Origi scored that first goal, you could feel that conviction. Everything was perfect that night. It was not like we were lucky. We totally deserved it because everyone would say that a 3-0 team against Barcelona will not do it. Messi will score goals – and if they score one, it's almost impossible. But we did it. "

Van Dijk smiles reliving the most glorious memory of his career. "It was crazy. You can not really describe it. Hopefully we can finish now and create an even bigger memory. "

The Spurs produced an even more spectacular comeback against Ajax the following night. They were 3-0 overall when a Lucas Moura hat trick, crowned by a winning goal in the 96th minute, left Van Dijk's young teammates on the Dutch national team wrinkled in the field. "I could not believe it either, but I told them later that they could be very proud of themselves.If you are very critical, you can say that Ajax has dropped in the second half because they did not play their own match, but they were outstanding throughout the campaign and put Ajax and Dutch football on the map. "

The Spurs were almost dead and buried in the group stage, with one point in three games, and won an incredible quarterfinal where they were eliminated in Manchester City. Their fans can be excused for formulating the old cliché that their name is on the cup, while taking advantage of the fact that Liverpool is probably under more pressure to win a trophy.

"Liverpool is still under pressure," he replies, "but we must take advantage of it. We have a good chance of winning but it's a huge game for them too. They showed that they never gave up either. We must be ready. "

Liverpool beat the Spurs 2-1 in both league games this season, but their last encounter at Anfield was full of tension. At 1-1, five minutes from the end, Van Dijk had to face the double threat of Son Heung-min and Moussa Sissoko. Sissoko had the ball but the dynamic sound was screaming in space. With a masterful judgment, Van Dijk focused on closing Son while allowing Sissoko to get things done. With the opportunity to pass to his blocked by Van Dijk, Sissoko went on his weaker left foot. Knowing that he had denied the presence of the deadliest sound, Van Dijk ran to the Spurs midfielder. Sissoko rushed and pulled wildly on the bar. Liverpool breathed again and a few minutes later, Anfield became ballistic when a goal from Toby Alderweireld earned him the match.

"It worked," said Van Dijk about decisions that meant he was preventing a goal without even a tackle. "But if Sissoko had scored, it would not have been so smart. But as a central advocate, the experience improves. Such moments meant that Van Dijk was voted player of the season. "I was very proud to win the PFA trophy because it's usually an attacker or a midfielder who wins it. In the years to come, I will look back and be even more proud. "

With regard to his own vote, Van Dijk was divided. "I was thinking about Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva. Bernardo is remarkable and he is a great guy. I've chatted with him a few times. It will be very important for City in the coming years. But Raheem took a big step forward and that's why I voted for him. I could have voted for four or five other players in City because they were exceptional. But they could also have voted for four or five of our players. Maybe Trent, Sadio [Mané], Gini [Wijnaldum] … "

He is with his wife, Rike, "since the time of Groningen [when he was 20]. The growth we have seen since is excellent and we now have two little girls. You can not deny that paternity changes you. There are always difficult moments, but when you go home with your wife and children, everything is gone. For example, when we lost to Barcelona, ​​you feel bad, but you go home and think how far I am. I treat these aspects very well.

Van Dijk does a lot of charity work that he asks the Merseyside football writers to play. "I would just prefer to be normal. When I can help people, I will definitely help. Rike is very enthusiastic and we do it from time to time. Discreet is better. We work with the foundation in Liverpool. We help families. We are also ambassadors of an orphanage in Nepal. Sometimes these are small things. Sign boots, invite someone to a game in our box. Something very small for us is a very big gesture for others. We appreciate that, but we like people to think that we are better than them. We are all the same. "

There can be no tie at the end of a Champions League final and the pain will be hard for the losers. Will it be particularly difficult for Liverpool if their exceptional season leaves them without a trophy? "If you lose, it will hurt, but it's not the end of the world. The only thing we can do is give it all and not regret if it's the best team. We do not plan to lose or how we will overcome this barrier of losing a point in the Premier League and losing the Champions League. It's not worth thinking about it. I think to play our best with all our talent and experience.

"I've read that if we win the Champions League, our next two [out of three] the games are the community shield and the European super cup. We can win three cups in three games. This is something we are looking for. We were close in the Premier League – but now we have a chance to win the Champions League, the big one. We will give everything we have. "