Virgil van Dijk has admitted he has made a poor start to the new season with Liverpool and has highlighted how he feels a heavy sense of responsibility when captaining the Reds and the Netherlands.
The Dutchman skippered the Netherlands to a 2-0 win over Poland on Thursday in Warsaw and he suggested his form has turned a corner after keeping Robert Lewandowski quiet.
Liverpool currently sit nine points off Arsenal at the top of the Premier League after a start to the season that no one would have predicted from Jurgen Klopp 's side and even Van Dijk has come in for criticism.
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Van Dijk is regarded by many as the best defender in the world with the form he has shown while Liverpool have won every major honour under Klopp, but his performances have dipped this term.
"I know I could have done better in the beginning of the season. I’m not naïve about that. I know very well when I make mistakes," Van Dijk told reporters after the win in Warsaw.
"I also know that I am one of the important players at the club and of course also here at the national team. I feel that responsibility. Mentally it’s a challenge. You feel a lot of pressure on your head. A lot of people forget that too, it’s not easy to do that.
"We all try to show our best and if, in my case, you are one of the mainstays at the club, then you get the criticism you deserve. You have to deal with that and that is not always easy. But I did that just fine."
After the 2-1 win over Ajax in the Champions League, Van Dijk believes Liverpool have turned a corner: "We spoke well (with each other), especially in the week leading up to the (Champions League) match against Ajax.
"It doesn’t mean it can’t happen again. But it is important, and I see that with the national team too, that the focus is all in the same direction. That is the basis for success."
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