Virgil Van Dijk: Liverpool star addresses Ballon D’or talks and sends out warning to Premier League rivals as the international break comes to a close.
Liverpool have had a brilliant start to their campaign so far. They lost the community shield to Manchester City on penalties before embarking on a winning streak that saw them clinch the UEFA Super Cup and remain the only team in the Premier League with a clean streak of victories.
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Virgil Van Dijk’s performances last season saw them challenging for the title and narrowly lose out to eventual champions Manchester City by a point. However, Virgil Van Dijk is confident that Liverpool will go all the way this time around.
“We want to keep going – and we want to win every game that is ahead of us now.
“There are seven games before the next international break. We want to win any match, and so seven wins is the target. That’s what we have to try and do.
“It is very hard to say whether the same points total as last season would be enough this time. If you win your games, that is the only way to think.
Man City a threat but not the only threat
The Dutch skipper acknowledged Manchester City as a constant threat but refused to overlook the others.
“We know exactly how good Manchester City will be in the Premier League again this season,” Van Dijk continued.
“But there also the other competitions where we can look to have success. The next few weeks we will be playing Saturday/Tuesday almost all the time.
“And there are some tough games. We have Chelsea away, and Napoli away in Europe. The League Cup is never easy.
“So, we know how tough it is going to be, both this next period and the rest of the season. But we have the mentality and the players to win every game ahead of us.
“It has been a good week, picking up the full complement of six points. And now my focus is on recovery and being ready for Newcastle on Saturday.”
Liverpool may have lost out on the Champions League by a solitary point. However, the Reds managed to crown themselves European Champions after overcoming Tottenham in the final. Van Dijk was extremely crucial to the success and won the PFA and UEFA men’s player of the season award following his outstanding performance.
Ballon d’Or favorite
He is now a favorite to win the Ballon d’Or. Doing so will make him the first defender since 2006 to be awarded the prestige. However, the defender is under no pressure to win the award.
“I was very proud to win both the UEFA and PFA awards.
“I knew Fabio Cannavaro was the last defender to win the UEFA one, and that was a long time ago.
“There will always be lots of opinions on who is named the best player and whether it is a defender or a more attacking player. I am just very proud they chose me.”
Virgil Van Dijk captained Netherlands to victories over Germany and Estonia this week. He will now return to the Anfield where they will take on Newcastle this weekend as the Reds look to prolong their winning streak.
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