Van Dijk vows to keep going after earning 100th Netherlands cap with contract expiring

Virgil van Dijk has declared he has no intention of slowing down after reaching 100 caps for the Netherlands, even as the Liverpool captain enters the final 12 months of his contract at Anfield.

The 35-year-old was presented with a commemorative shirt and golden bowl by the Dutch FA ahead of the Netherlands’ victory over Serbia on Sunday, marking the milestone. Despite his age and ongoing transfer speculation, Van Dijk made clear that retirement is not on his radar.

“I am very grateful. To the group, the staff, the staff members with whom I have worked in the past. And in the end, I am most grateful for my family,” Van Dijk told NOS. “A special evening and a great milestone. Definitely something I’m very proud of. For me, it doesn’t stop at 100.”

Reflecting on a career that was interrupted by a serious knee injury in 2020, Van Dijk added: “Unfortunately, I missed another year, otherwise I might have been able to come close to Wesley Sneijder (134 caps). But I am proud and happy.”

His future at Liverpool remains unresolved, with no public indication yet of whether the club will offer an extension or whether Van Dijk will seek a move elsewhere when his deal expires.

On the injury front, Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola faces fresh concerns as Alexander Isak returned to Merseyside with a thigh problem sustained during the international break. Cody Gakpo also left the Netherlands camp early with an ankle issue, adding to the squad management challenges ahead of a demanding October schedule that includes a Premier League visit from Manchester City, two Champions League fixtures against LASK and Villarreal, and a Carabao Cup fourth-round tie against Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea.

Meanwhile, club legend Steven Gerrard has taken on a new media role, joining Gary Neville’s football programme ‘The Overlap Daily.’ The show, which launches on Friday 9 October with an opening episode featuring Jamie Carragher, Neville and Mark Goldbridge, will also feature Joe Hart, Peter Schmeichel, Tim Sherwood and Duncan Ferguson among its contributors. Gerrard is scheduled to make his first appearance on Monday 12 October alongside presenter Becky Ives.