Van Dijk: Xavi Talk Kept Me With Netherlands

A ten-second chat with the new Dutch boss was all it took for Van Dijk to shelve retirement talk.

V. van Dijk

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What happened. Virgil van Dijk revealed that a brief conversation with new Netherlands manager Xavi Hernández convinced him to continue his international career. The Liverpool captain said it took just seconds to decide his future under the Spanish head coach, after rumours of possible international retirement following a taxing summer.

• Xavi Hernández is the new Netherlands manager
• Van Dijk had been linked with international retirement after a busy summer
• The decision was made in a press conference setting

Van Dijk stays available for the Netherlands as they begin life under Xavi Hernández.

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