Virgil Van Dijk responds to international teammate’s statement
Virgil van Dijk has responded to an emotional message from a player he featured for Netherlands with after a major announcement about their career.
Virgil van Dijk has established himself as one of the best centre-backs in world football over the last seven years since he joined Liverpool from Southampton in 2018.
He has been a key part of the Reds’ two title wins, in 2020 and 2025, as well as their 2019 Champions League triumph and numerous cup wins under Jurgen Klopp before his exit last year.
Van Dijk recently scored a late winner against Atletico Madrid to give Liverpool a great start in the Champions League as they aim for more silverware this term, but his impressive trophy cabinet at club level has not been replicated for his national team.
He has made 84 appearances for the Netherlands since his international debut in 2015, and one of his former teammates for the ‘Oranje’ has now released a heartfelt message which he has reacted to.
Virgil Van Dijk responds to Tim Krul’s retirement statement
Tim Krul played for a number of English clubs across his career after initially becoming a professional at Newcastle United, with other spells at the likes of Brighton, Norwich City and Luton Town.
The Dutch goalkeeper made 222 Premier League appearances across his time with the Magpies and the Canaries, while also winning two promotions to the top-flight with the latter.
Now 37-years-old, Krul took to Instagram on Tuesday (23 September) to announce his retirement from playing football, saying: “As I hang up my gloves after 20 incredible years as a professional football player, I want to take a moment to reflect on my journey….I am excited for the next chapter and will always cherish the memories made on the pitch. Here’s to new adventures off the pitch!”
His message was reacted to by Van Dijk, who left a clapping emoji in the replies, while Aston Villa keeper Marco Bizot replied: “What a career, thanks mate,” Brighton‘s Joel Veltman said: “What a guy,” and Premier League goalkeeping hero Joe Hart added: “Congratulations mate , smashed it.”
Van Dijk and Krul know each other well from Netherlands duty
Van Dijk will be planning ahead for his own retirement in a few years time, and Krul will likely have been weighing up this decision for a while, having been without a club since leaving Luton in June when his contract expired.
The Liverpool defender reached out to the 37-year-old as a sign of respect, and the pair are not just compatriots, as they did play together twice for their country before Krul’s international career ended in 2021.
Van Dijk and Krul featured together on the pitch for the first time in a 2-1 win against Kazakhstan in 2015, and despite their 99 combined caps, it was another five years before they played with each other in a 1-0 loss to Mexico in 2020.
Jamie Carragher hailed Van Dijk as one of the greatest Liverpool players ever recently, and even though he is now 34-years-old, it looks as if he will be able to continue longer than Krul and play at the top level for another five years at least.