View: Virgil van Dijk needs to impress Liverpool manager Arne Slot after struggle v England
Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk struggled to show his quality as the Netherlands crashed out of Euro 2024 in a 2-1 defeat to England in the semi-final (10 July).
England progressed to consecutive European Championship finals when Ollie Watkins found the winner with virtually the last kick of the game.
The Reds started the week with six players in the Euro 2024 semi-finals but it will just be Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez representing Liverpool in the final.
Van Dijk celebrated his 33rd birthday in the lead-up to the semi-final and manager Arne Slot will need to make a decision on his long-term Anfield future.
Van Dijk rolling back the years for Netherlands and Liverpool
The Liverpool and the Netherlands captain produced an impressive Euro 2024 campaign as he led his country to the semi-final.
They entered the tournament as one of the favourites and will feel hard done-by given the controversial penalty that allowed Harry Kane to equalise for England following Xavi Simons’ opener in the 7 minute.
Van Dijk struggled to get his side going against the Three Lions and was unable to exert his usual influence on the match.
He has established himself as one of the best ball playing centre-backs in world football in recent years and his ability to spread play is utilised by both club and country.
As per WhoScored, he completed 92.3 percent of his 65 passes but only one long ball out of five attempted.
His long-range accuracy is one of his biggest assets and was in the 92.2 percentile for long balls completed in the Premier League last season (FotMob).
It was an off-night for the Netherlands side as a whole not just van Dijk, who has been exceptional in the tournament.
The 33-year-old is in the 89.6 percentile for successful passes, 92.2 percentile for long balls and created three chances throughout Euro 2024 in the 90.9 percentile (FotMob).
He was also in the 96.1 percentile for duels won and his 19 aerial duels won is the highest in the tournament.
Van Dijk is proving that he can still perform at the highest level for Slot as he enters the twilight years of his career.
Whilst he is still at the top of his game defensively and via his ball distribution, it is natural that his physical presence will dwindle over the next few years.
But he continues to be an effective influence whenever he steps foot on the pitch.
Last season for Liverpool he ranked in the 90 percentile for passes completed, 91 percentile for progressive passes and 96 percentile for shot-creating actions (FBref).
Naturally, his defensive statistics scored low as defenders from bottom-table Premier League sides tend to score the highest, but he was in the 97 percentile for aerial duels won.
Van Dijk is ageing like a fine wine and will no doubt return to Anfield with the aim of impressing Slot ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Slot will need to make a decision not just on the future of the squad but on the future of his inherited captain as he approaches his mid-30s.
In other Liverpool news, Liverpool to be strengthened by proposed FSG purchase of Bordeaux.
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