Virgil van Dijk is back! For the first time since his injury he has started a match. What is his message to the fans?

In mid-October last year, Virgil van Dijk was seriously injured in a derby against Everton. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was a big part of that. Until now, the Dutch stopper has been recovering and now he is back! He commented on his return on social media.

Big moment for Liverpool, even bigger for Virgil van Dijk. Because on Thursday, the Dutch stopper returned to the pitch after a very long time and played his first minutes since his injury.

The Reds were playing a friendly against Hertha Berlin in Innsbruck, Austria, so Vladimir Darida was not absent for Van Dijk’s return. But he had to wait a long time. The Liverpool star did not enter the match until the 69th minute.

The German side managed to beat Jürgen Klopp’s charges 4:3, but after Van Dijk came on, Liverpool only got one goal. Joe Gomez also returned to the game after a long injury.

Van Dijk commented on his return on social media after the game, “285 days ago I set out on my comeback journey. It’s hard to describe how I feel. But I have to express my great gratitude for the support of many incredible people.”

The Dutch stopper directed his gratitude first and foremost to the doctors, coaches and Liverpool staff who have stood by his side throughout. He didn’t forget his teammates and fans either.

“But most of all I thank my family because without them I would be nothing. But my work doesn’t end here,” Van Dijk concluded his statement.

And the Liverpool coach sees it similarly, who is excited about the return of his two charges. Quite possibly, it may increase the club’s chances of success in the upcoming season.

Injuries to both players have affected Liverpool for the whole season, which in turn affected the Reds’ results. It may take a while for these two defenders to get back to form, yet the team can be positively affected just by their return. The mental boost could be perfect.

Source: Goal, Twitter | Liverpool, Virgil van Dijk