I’ll probably be in the minority here, but when I heard that Virgil van Dijk had decided to continue playing international football for the Netherlands, my first reaction wasn’t excitement.
I was actually hoping he’d retire from international football.
Not because I don’t want to see Van Dijk playing for his country.
Not because I don’t think he still has something to offer the Netherlands.
Quite simply, I want him to concentrate on Liverpool.
Van Dijk is now 35 years old, and at this stage of his career every game, every recovery session and every minute of rest matters.
The Liverpool captain had been considering his international future following the World Cup and held talks with new Netherlands head coach Xavi Hernández before making his decision. He has now decided to continue and has been included in Xavi’s first squad.
And I completely respect his decision.
But if I’m being honest, I would have loved to see him say:
“That’s enough. I’m concentrating on Liverpool now.”
Liverpool need Van Dijk at his best
This isn’t about questioning Van Dijk’s ability.
Quite the opposite.
He’s still incredibly important to Liverpool.
He’s our captain, our leader and one of the most experienced players in the dressing room.
And that’s precisely why I want him protected as much as possible.
Van Dijk has already shown remarkable longevity. Liverpool themselves noted earlier this year that he played every minute of the Premier League campaign in 2025/26 and has consistently played more than 40 matches in most seasons since recovering from his serious knee injury.
That’s remarkable at his age.
But eventually the body catches up with everybody.
It’s the travelling that concerns me
It’s not just the international matches themselves.
It’s the travelling.
The training camps.
The flights.
The extra games.
The recovery time lost.
Liverpool already have an incredibly demanding schedule, and Van Dijk is going to be expected to lead this team through another long season.
Then you add international football on top of that.
For a 25-year-old, perhaps you look at it differently.
For a 35-year-old centre-back who is arguably still Liverpool’s most important leader?
I’d rather see him have those extra days recovering at Melwood—or wherever Liverpool are training—than flying around Europe during every international break.
I completely understand why he wants to continue
At the same time, I can’t criticise Van Dijk for wanting to carry on.
Representing your country at a World Cup and then continuing into another international cycle is a huge honour.
And clearly his conversation with Xavi convinced him that he still has an important role to play.
The new Netherlands boss has selected Van Dijk as part of his first squad, alongside Liverpool teammates Jeremie Frimpong, Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo.
So this isn’t a case of Van Dijk hanging on when nobody wants him.
The Netherlands still want their captain.
And Van Dijk still wants to represent them.
I respect that.
But selfishly, I wanted something different
Maybe I’m just looking at this from a Liverpool supporter’s perspective.
I’ve watched Van Dijk become one of the most important players Liverpool have had in years.
I’ve watched him recover from that horrific knee injury and come back to an incredibly high level.
I’ve watched him lift trophies as Liverpool captain.
And now, at 35, I want to see whatever he has left concentrated on Liverpool Football Club.
If retiring from international football gave him even a little more time to recover between Liverpool games, I’d have taken that all day long.
I’m delighted that Van Dijk is still capable of playing at this level.
I’m delighted that the Netherlands still value him.
But if you asked me what I wanted him to do after the World Cup, my answer was simple.
Retire from international football.
Not because I think he’s finished.
Quite the opposite.
Because I want Virgil van Dijk playing for Liverpool for as long as his body allows him to.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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