Arne Slot has praised the fitness of Virgil van Dijk in the run-up to the last league match of the season. The 34-year-old Liverpool defender is the only outfield player to have played every minute in the Premier League this season.
“That is a great achievement,” Slot said during the press conference on Friday. “Playing every game in a competition like this is already a great achievement, let alone at his age.”
According to the Liverpool coach, it also says something about how the season went. “And I mean in terms of injuries and available players. Because I think that if I had had all the players available, I would have given him a rest once or twice. That was not possible.”
Slot thought Van Dijk’s performance was even better because of the difficult season his team has gone through. “It is much easier for a player to stay fit when things are going well, like last season,” the coach added.
“But in a season with so many setbacks, so many disappointments, it is an even greater achievement to stay fit.”
The Dutch captain was the only field player to play every minute in the first 37 league matches of the season, alongside five goalkeepers. Bart Verbruggen, Van Dijk’s teammate at the Dutch team, was one of the five goalkeepers.
Liverpool close the competition against Brentford on Sunday. The team still needs 1 point to secure fifth place and a ticket for the Champions League.
View the complete schedule here Liverpoolthe score and all statistics of Arne Slot’s team
