Liverpool central defender Virgil van Dijk was the talk of social media on Wednesday night as the Dutchman made an international comeback.
The 30-year-old Netherlands captain was back in international action having made the decision to miss the European Chamionships in order to continue rehabilitation to an ACL injury.
Van Dijk has since made an impressive return for the Reds, playing every minute of the first three Premier League fixtures this season.
Following a meeting with Romelu Lukaku and Chelsea on Saturday at Anfield, the ‘Rolls Royce’ defender had Norwegian sensation Erling Halland to deal with in a Group G World Cup qualifier.
Unsurprisingly the ace was unperturbed by the challenge and despite Haaland giving Norway an early lead, Van Dijk ended the first half in particular with outstanding statistics.
Twitter: Virgil van Dijk during the first half against Norway:
3 clearances.
1 blocked shot.
1/1 ground duels won.
4/4 aeri… https://t.co/O7sPA52IXR (@FCB_MP)
The Dutch colossus finished the night with six clearances, 100% aerial duel success and a 7.70 Sofascore rating.
In what was an eventful night for the former Southampton man, Van Dijk also had to have a dislocated finger popped back in before pushing away a pitch invader seemingly wanting an embrace during a post-match interview.
Twitter: Van Dijk refusing to take a selfie so he can finish a interview
https://t.co/phgPiZqYkE (@SamueILFC)
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Thankfully for Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp, Van Dijk’s form already looks as though he has never been away.
Crucial to the Reds’ success or otherwise in the short term, Kopites will be delighted to see their man come through another 90 minutes relatively unscathed.
Superstar player may well have turned agent after the clash as Van Dijk shared a moment with the most wanted man in world football, Haaland.
Will we see them link up at Anfield next season?
