Van Dijk submitted a formal transfer request to Southampton in the summer of 2017 during Liverpool’s initial interest and didn’t start a Premier League game for the Saints until the end of September that season owing to the uncertainty surrounding his future.
Liverpool went back in for him in December and Southampton finally relented, accepting a world record £75m fee for a transfer that was made official in January.
Whether or not people believe Van Dijk went about securing his exit in the right way, the player himself has been justified by Champions League glory, a FIFA Club World Cup, individual accolades and an impending English league title – Liverpool’s first in 31 years.
“The decision I made has not been too bad!' he is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail. “I’m 28 now and I want to fulfil every dream I ever had. Life can be short. Your career can be short as well.
“I want to enjoy every minute of it. I’m enjoying playing with this team and this manager. We can’t look too far ahead. But right now, I’m enjoying it,” he added.
Having finished second only to Lionel Messi in the 2018 Best FIFA Men’s Player and Ballon d’Or standings, Van Dijk is widely recognised as the best defender in the world.
Rather than focus on who he is playing against, the Dutchman has explained that he now concentrates more on his own game and no longer feels the need to study opposing strikers.
“At this stage you don't need to study strikers any more,” he said.
“Normally you know their strengths and weaknesses. You try to prepare as good as possible but most of the time, it’s to make sure you’re 100 per cent ready. The strikers we are facing at the moment we have played against many times.”
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Source : 90min