Virgil van Dijk admits Liverpool's disappointing season was a "shock" but believes he is now fully recovered from a difficult campaign.
The Reds failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in seven years after they finished fifth in the Premier League, four points adrift of fourth-placed Newcastle United.
Jurgen Klopp's side were also dumped out of the three cup competitions before the quarter-final stage having reached the final in each tournament the previous season, winning the FA Cup and League Cup and runners-up in the Champions League.
Van Dijk came in for criticism after a series of below-par performances for Liverpool, and was also singled out in his native Holland despite skippering the national side to the last eight of the World Cup, where they were beaten by eventual winners Argentina.
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The 31-year-old then suffered a hamstring injury in the New Year shortly after his return to Liverpool but was impressive during the closing weeks of the campaign as the Reds ended with an 11-game unbeaten run.
And Van Dijk said: “I have had a turbulent season and I am happy that the last three months went well. I am comfortable in my skin again and am consistent.
“That’s also what I was used to in the last five years. It was a shock that it was not consistent enough as a team this year.
“You can only come out of it by dealing with it, inside and outside the pitch. I think I was able to do that well, with help from my wife and people at the club. I’m happy with that."
Speaking to Dutch news outlet NOS via SportWitness, Van Dijk added: “To give an example, against (Manchester) United we won 7-0, but then the next game at Bournemouth you lose 1-0. That’s just very frustrating. Then you look for answers and your form.
“It went too much with ups and downs, but that’s also part of an athlete’s life. You cannot perform at your absolute best every game.”
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