"Virgil van Dijk needs to get back towards his best for Liverpool if he wants to lead the Netherlands into next summer's World Cup, according to one Dutch football writer. The Liverpool skipper is ranked at No.3 in FourFourTwo's list of the best Premier League defenders of all time, but has come under fire amid a dreadful run of form for Arne Slot's side."
"Journalist Henk Spaan has claimed that Manchester United's Matthijs de Ligt and Arsenal's Jurien Timber should both be ahead of Van Dijk in contention for a place in Ronald Koeman's side as the Netherlands build towards the 2026 World Cup. Van Dijk has been captain of the national team since 2018, but has at times been criticised in his home country amid a feeling that he is rarely as good for the Netherlands as he is for Liverpool."
"With Van Dijk now also coming in for criticism for his club form, Spaan believes that Koeman should be considering his options when it comes to who will make up his defence at next year's World Cup. That comes in spite of the fact that the Dutch have kept five clean sheets in six games in qualifying and will be guaranteed a place at the tournament if they win their next game, against Poland in two weeks."
Virgil van Dijk needs to regain top form at Liverpool to retain leadership of the Netherlands ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Henk Spaan argues that Matthijs de Ligt and Jurien Timber should be ahead of Van Dijk in selection for Ronald Koeman's squad. Van Dijk has captained the national team since 2018 but faces criticism for performances perceived as weaker than his Liverpool displays. Liverpool have lost six of seven matches and kept only two clean sheets this season. The Netherlands have kept five clean sheets in six qualifying games and can secure qualification by beating Poland.
Read at www.fourfourtwo.com
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