Van Dijk secures a spot in the starting eleven after talk with Xavi
On Liverpool's training ground, as rain sweeps across England, the 35‑year‑old defender Virgil van Dijk sits and holds an intense conversation with the newly appointed Dutch national coach Xavi. Shortly thereafter he confirms that he wants to continue his career with the Oranje national team.
Decision after conversation with Xavi
As Maarten Wijffels of the Algemeen Dagblad reports, Van Dijk decided after the conversation to continue playing for the national team. “Van Dijk had a constructive conversation in England last week with the new national coach Xavi. Officially everyone remains silent, but both see enough reasons to start the collaboration,” he wrote.
Thus the speculation that arose after the World Cup and the coaching change comes to an end. Xavi replaced Ronald Koeman and sought a personal conversation with the Liverpool captain to clarify his future in the team.
Driessen expects more intensive training under Xavi with the Dutch
Van Dijk currently has 96 caps for the Dutch national team, according to official association statistics. In the next four matches for the Netherlands he could quickly reach the milestone of 100 international appearances.
Just a few days ago Van Dijk himself emphasized that he still sees himself as a player who can give the team a lot of quality. After the conversation with Xavi the decision has been made: the Liverpool captain remains in the national team.
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