23 October 2023 , 07:04
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Virgil van Dijk isn't the only Dutchman to be aware of the pressure and scrutiny that comes with playing for Liverpool in the Premier League.
And now Boudewijn Zenden, who spent two seasons at Anfield and started for the Reds in the 2007 Champions League final, has defended his compatriot for taking some time to return to form that is even approaching his peak levels. Van Dijk, 32, was at the heart of the defence as his side beat Everton 2-0 i n the Premier League on Saturday, a welcome result after the pre-international break slip-ups at Tottenham and Brighton.
But the perception remains that the club captain is no longer the player who was voted PFA Player of the Year at the culmination of the 2018/19 campaign. Later that year, he was runner up to Lionel Messi in the race for the Ballon d'Or, and the following season would be instrumental in the Reds landing a first top-flight title in 30 years.
But in October 2020, the star picked up an ACL injury in a collision with Toffees keeper Jordan Pickford, with subsequent surgery ruling him out for nine months. The incident derailed him individually, but he has improved in the current campaign and largely playing well despite a red card in the 2-1 win at Newcastle in August.
Zenden has argued the mitigating circumstances around van Dijk need to be considered, telling Soccer News : “Look, that (high) expectation of Van Dijk is of course based on what he has done in the past with Liverpool.
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“What needs to be taken into account is that he had a significant injury and that kept him sidelined for a long time. I have experience of that, needing nine months to recover and I can say you need another nine months to fully reach your own level."
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As he insinuated, Zenden is well placed to judge when it comes to battling back from injury. His first season at Liverpool was plagued by a serious cruciate ligament injury that ruled him out for six months.
“Once you have done that (returned from injury), then it is true that rhythm comes. After his first injury he had a second injury, and you can’t see that separately although it is completely different. It just takes some time to fully reach your own level.”
Van Dijk has appeared 230 times for Liverpool in all competitions. He was handed the captain's armband in the summer after Jordan Henderson finalised his move to Saudi side Al-Ettifaq.