Virgil van Dijk regrets recent comments made out of 'emotion'

Virgil van Dijk admits he wishes he hadn't made recent comments after winning the Carabao Cup. The Liverpool defender blames 'emotion'.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk admits he regrets comments made to camera in the wake of the Carabao Cup final. Van Dijk had a standout performance that day, defending brilliantly before popping up with an extra-time winner.

It was his day - one where he marshalled a group of inexperienced kids to a trophy.

And that led to Van Dijk addressing the criticism of last season, where plenty of fans suggested he was finished at the very top level. The Dutchman, by his own admission, wasn't at his best in the 2022/23 campaign.

So in Liverpool's changing room after the cup final, Van Dijk said into the camera “they thought I was finished”. It was a quote that resonated with Reds' fans, gaining plenty of traction and approval online after his display.

However, Van Dijk wishes he hadn't said it.

Virgil van Dijk on cup final quote

“I shouldn’t have said that,” said Van Dijk, per the Guardian. “Because I don’t want to have the wrong intentions.

"That was part of the emotion coming out of me because there were so many emotions going through my whole body that day.

"Last season was disappointing. Not disappointing in a way that I was bad. I didn’t feel like that at all; I was just below my standards and the consistency wasn’t there that I have had and set for myself in every game.

"I fully understand the noise that came with it but I am a human being and not immune to any of that. There was a bit of emotion that day but I shouldn’t have said that."

It was very unlike Van Dijk to address the 'noise' like that and it's clear he was caught up in the emotion of it all. It's easy to see why he feels a bit of regret about it - almost like he was giving the criticism too much respect by addressing it like that.

At the same time - and Van Dijk does go on to admit it himself - allowing yourself to blow off steam like that isn't a negative. It was also fully deserved - the captain made a serious point that day that couldn't be ignored.

No one should expect similar comments going forward, though. That much is clear. But Van Dijk got to stamp a point home and even if he harbours a bit of regret, it was entirely justified.