Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool has received more criticism in recent months, but he has responded well as he begins the next phase of his career.
Prior to converting the game-winning penalty for Holland in their UEFA Euro 2024 Group B qualification encounter against Greece on October 16, 2023, Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk was targeted by a laser pen.
Prior to converting the game-winning penalty for Holland in their UEFA Euro 2024 match, Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk is targeted by a laser pen.
In recent years, Virgil van Dijk has become accustomed to being a target. So when he rose to offer a dramatic conclusion in Athens on Monday night, he wouldn’t have been shocked to see a laser pen shone in his face.
Van Dijk maintained composure despite the effort at diversion to score from the spot and give Holland a crucial victory in their Euro 2024 qualifying match.
After winning a penalty in the first half that was later missed by former Manchester United player Wout Weghorst, it was possibly a case of Van Dijk, the captain of both his nation and Liverpool, taking matters into his own hands.
And given the growing amount of criticism the center-back has been receiving from the more narrow-minded Dutch dissidents, the way he converted — similar to his nerveless finish in the League Cup final shoot-out victory against Chelsea last year — would have undoubtedly felt that much sweeter for the center-back.
