Virgil van Dijk was ascending the Wembley steps to collect the Carabao Cup trophy just over a year ago, but today he had to watch from afar as Newcastle’s players basked in the limelight instead.
The captain was one of Liverpool’s better performers on an evening when too many of his teammates just didn’t show anything close to their best level, and despite the odd contentious moment in the first half, the Reds could have no real complaints about the final result.
Having experienced that winning feeling in the competition’s showpiece last season, the 33-year-old could appreciate what victory would’ve meant to the Magpies today, especially when it was the club’s first major domestic trophy since 1955.
Van Dijk praised for post-match gesture
Stephen Warnock – who was scathing of LFC’s defending from set pieces today – spotted a magnanimous gesture from Van Dijk after the match and duly praised the Dutchman.
The former Liverpool defender said on BBC Radio 5 Live (18:40): “There was an embrace between Virgil van Dijk and Dan Burn. Van Dijk stood at the Newcastle huddle – he went around and shook every player’s hand. He respected what Newcastle have done today. Class; a sign of respect for Newcastle.”
Van Dijk remains classy amid the disappointment of defeat
Van Dijk seemed the natural successor to Jordan Henderson as Liverpool captain when the midfielder left Anfield in 2023, and not just for his world-class standard of performances on the pitch.
The Dutchman constantly carries himself so professionally, and he was able to set aside his obvious disappointment over today’s result to give the Newcastle players the congraulations that their display richly deserved.
His gesture will surely be appreciated by the Magpies’ squad and supporters, for whom this was a day which’ll live on in the memory for the rest of their lives.
Van Dijk will now link up with the Netherlands squad for their two-legged UEFA Nations League quarter-final against Spain over the next week, and hopefully he (along with Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch) will return from international duty unscathed and ready to help Liverpool over the line in the Premier League title race.
Today was a tough one to take for the Reds, but let’s hope the celebratory mood that Newcastle are experiencing tonight will be replicated on the red half of Merseyside in a few weeks’ time!
