Virgil van Dijk has finally broken his social media silence following the Netherlands’ exit from the World Cup.
The Liverpool defender suffered a premature end to his international campaign when the Netherlands fell to Morocco in a dramatic penalty shootout during the first knockout stage of the competition.
For a player who turns 35-years-old on Wednesday, the disappointment of bowing out in the Round of 32 was tough to take.
Writing on Instagram, the Dutch captain stated that seeing the journey end so early was incredibly painful because he knew how much dedication the team had given every single day.
He acknowledged the collective failure of the squad and took full responsibility as their leader.
Despite the intense speculation surrounding his future at Anfield, the official position from the club remains entirely firm.
Team officials have stated that they have zero intention of allowing their captain to leave during the current summer transfer window.
He is entering the final 12 months of his contract and the club views him as a fundamental component of the squad for the upcoming campaign.
The veteran defender has been granted a brief period of leave to recover from his international exploits before he is scheduled to join up with his teammates for pre-season preparations.
He will fly out to meet the rest of the squad in the United States, where the pre-season tour will already be well underway.
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