Van Dijk can prove legends wrong by getting into final

Of all the players around Europe to chastise, to suggest hasn’t had a positive impact on teammates and to berate for not playing well enough, Virgil van Dijk will feel like a baffling choice to regular viewers of the Premier League.

- KARL MATCHETT

As an individual star and then as captain, the Dutch defender has raised Liverpool to regular trophy winners, been the most accomplished centre-back in the game and won everything going since moving to Anfield, as well as finishing second in the 2019 Ballon d’Or, a mere seven vote points behind Lionel Messi.

Yet as can so often be the case, the domestic perception of a player does not match the international one on home soil. Van Dijk has been pilloried by some of the biggest names in Dutch football history, not just once, not just at this tournament, but relentlessly, for years.

Given that the Netherlands have struggled to consistently impress at major tournaments and clearly don’t have as strong a squad now as they have had in decades gone by, some criticism is expected – and with Van Dijk as captain, he’s a natural lightning rod for harsh words. Even so, some of the accusations appear beyond the normal range, while certain specific complaints would not resonate with those who watch him regularly.

Chief among the critics’ voices has been three-time Ballon d’Or winner and arguably the second-biggest name in Oranje history, Marco van Basten.

Only two weeks ago, he was adding to his long-running critique of Van Dijk’s performances following a Euro 2024 defeat to Austria. “He’s got to lead and he’s the one we’re going to hold accountable in the end,” he fumed post-match. “He has to organise things and he is responsible. He is the great leader of the team and you have to organise these kinds of things better.”