Formula One star Max Verstappen has revealed that he talks to Liverpool defender and fellow Dutchman Virgil van Dijk despite claiming to be a Manchester United supporter.
Having won F1 Championships in 2021 and 2022, Verstappen grasp on the sport is stronger than ever. He currently leads the 2023 rankings and will make it a hat-trick of triumphs if he can convert an 81-point lead over Sergio Perez into another title.
Despite being born in Belgium, Verstappen claims Dutch nationality and appears to be friendly with some of the nation's other sports stars.
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In an interview with talkSPORT and former Reds winger Jermaine Pennant, the 25-year-old made his footballing allegiances clear to Man United before then disclosing his Liverpool ties.
"I'm a United fan," Verstappen confessed while laughing. "It's not like I'm a die-hard United fan. I mean, I'm talking to Virgil [van Dijk] and Liverpool players, stuff like that.
"For me, I enjoy it when I see a great football match and I think the Premier League is the best league out there. It has a lot of great players.
"I think Man City are winning a little bit too much, but then again, I can say the same thing about us [Red Bull]. The other teams need to get better."
He also provided an insight into Dutch feelings ahead of the European Championships in 2024, with former Everton boss Ronald Koeman returning to the Oranje hot seat.
"It's a tough one, I think. At the moment we're still not where we want to be. With Koeman back in charge I hope it's going to go down well.
"I'm a big fan but I'm also realistic. At the moment we're not the best national team out there, but you don't need to be the best team out there if you play well together, you don't need one superstar, it's all about getting your tactics right.
"Let's see, they just need to play a bit more together instead of swapping players in and out."
