Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has no hangover from the Netherlands’ Euro 2024 semi-final exit to England as he prepares to face the match-winner on that day Ollie Watkins.
The Aston Villa striker scored the decisive goal in the last minute to clinch a 2-1 victory in Germany and arrives at Anfield on Saturday looking to stop a side which has won 14 of 16 matches this season.
Van Dijk said: “Do the Euros play on my mind? No. I am not that, what do you call it, sentimental?
“Bitter? I am never bitter, but I know how good he (Watkins) can be and I think he is a very good striker.
“He always makes it difficult for the defenders and it will be a good match-up for all of us.
“But no, I don’t think about what happened in the summer. Obviously he scored a good goal, unfortunately, we couldn’t stop it but that is football sometimes.”
Watkins has scored four times playing against Van Dijk at club level, although three of those came in the shock 7-2 victory in a behind-closed-doors game during Covid.
In 438 minutes against the Dutchman since then, he has managed one in a 3-1 home defeat on Boxing Day in 2022.
