Netherlands captain and Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk was subject to a stinging attack by a former Dutch player after a lacklustre performance for his country.
The criticism was aimed at the 31-year-old after the Netherlands were well beaten 4-0 by France in a European Championship qualifier on Friday, a match in which his Liverpool teammate and centre-back partner, Ibrahima Konate starred.
Gertjan Verbeek was speaking on the Omrop Fryslan channel (as per soccernews via Sport Witness) when he made some astonishing comments.
“I think Van Dijk is a first class wimp. I would immediately take away his captain’s armband.
“He has to mean a lot more as a captain. He has to put things down. It happens to him. At one point he lets Geertruida drown and then he stands there after the first goal, like: blablabla. Where was he then?”
The Transfer Room Verdict
Unfortunately, Liverpool's number four's laid-back style can sometimes give off the impression he is not quite on his game but whilst he may not have been at his best so far this season for club and country, the comments do appear over the top.
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