Virgil van Dijk has reflected on the severe knee injury that derailed his 2020/21 season with Liverpool, now viewing it as something of a blessing in disguise.
The Dutch center-back, who recently signed a new contract at the club, was out of action for nine months following a clash with Everton’s Jordan Pickford in October 2020 during the Merseyside Derby, which saw him rupture his anterior cruciate ligament. The incident, labelled as “completely stupid” by then-teammate Gini Wijnaldum, left the squad shaken.
Wijnaldum revealed that “none of the players slept” that night due to concern for Van Dijk. Despite Pickford avoiding any disciplinary action, the tackle led to Van Dijk missing out on Euro 2020 and spending around 300 days sidelined.
During his recovery, which involved surgery and extensive gym work alongside fellow injured teammate Joe Gomez, Van Dijk cherished the extra time he could spend with his family. After coming back to help Liverpool secure another Premier League title, he shared his introspective thoughts with GQ.
“It was one of the best times of my life,” he said. “It’s just, I had to do the majority of my rehab away from the club, in Dubai, so I was with my family, which was so nice.
“Seven weeks with them. I never get to do that. It was some of the best family time I’ve ever had. And, obviously, no one wants to get a serious knee injury, but that time we had was sort of worth it.”
(Image: 2025 Liverpool FC)
In the aftermath of his ACL injury, Van Dijk’s comeback trail began in the pre-season of 2021. He acknowledges the challenge of returning to form for the 2021/22 season while being scrutinized by pundits and fans alike. “Every mistake, in any game, people will refer to the injury,” he expressed.
“I know you can do nine things right and one thing wrong, and people will only focus on that one wrong thing. It can mess your head up and then you lose confidence… You feel scared to make mistakes.
“Confidence is like a flower. Jurgen taught me that. It is delicate. It can be easily crushed. So I know I have to communicate leadership just by someone looking at me.”
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Van Dijk also pointed out the peculiar nature of his injury. “ACL injuries are often caused by awkward movements, rather than contact,” he said. “My injury was caused by a kick.
“It wasn’t a moment when nobody was around. Actually, that made it a bit easier mentally to go all the way. Sometimes it is at the back of your mind, but it is not something that really concerns me. It’s certainly not like I’m afraid to go into a duel.”
Liverpool.com says: Van Dijk remains at the very top of the game, which is all the more remarkable because of the injury. Not that long ago, such a serious issue would have been a career-ender. Instead, Van Dijk has managed to get himself right back to his peak again.
