{"id":290826,"date":"2023-09-13T10:36:07","date_gmt":"2023-09-13T10:36:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/allmysportsnews.com\/?p=290826"},"modified":"2023-09-13T10:36:07","modified_gmt":"2023-09-13T10:36:07","slug":"jordan-pickford-is-responsible-for-the-downfall-of-virgil-van-dijk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allmysportsnews.com\/soccer\/jordan-pickford-is-responsible-for-the-downfall-of-virgil-van-dijk\/","title":{"rendered":"Jordan Pickford 'is responsible for the downfall of Virgil van Dijk'"},"content":{"rendered":"
A Dutch journalist has claimed that Jordan Pickford is ‘responsible’ for the ‘demise’ of Liverpool and Netherlands star Virgil van Dijk.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The central defender played the full 90 minutes on Sunday night as his national side cruised to a 2-1 win over the Republic of Ireland in their Euro 2024 qualifiers.<\/p>\n
It was a solid display from the Liverpool defender, who has struggled to reproduce the same form that saw him come runner in the Ballon d’Or voting back in 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One key factor for that would be the knee injury van Dijk suffered in October 2020, which one journalist believes has had a lasting impact on the defender’s career.\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to\u00a0journalist Henk Spaan, the Liverpool defender has not been the same player since picking up that injury in the Merseyside derby three years ago.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A Dutch journalist has claimed to have pin-pointed the reason for Virgil van Dijk’s ‘demise’<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Liverpool star spent nearly a year on the sidelines after a horro tackle from Jordan Pickford<\/p>\n
Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n
In that match, Everton’s Pickford came surging out of his goal and clattered into Liverpool defender Van Dijk in a scissors motion, crunching the outstretched knee of the Dutchman.<\/p>\n
Van Dijk immediately collapsed in a heap and needed extensive treatment in the area, before having no option but to leave the field.<\/p>\n
It was an injury that left the 32-year-old sidelined for 254 days and one that has continued to trouble him since.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Reflecting on the issue, Spann said: ‘There was a moment on the sidelines against Ireland when Van Dijk was walked passed by an opponent he would once have laughed at and taken the ball from without wasting a drop of sweat.<\/p>\n
‘Pickford’s tackle on Van Dijk during Everton-Liverpool was called a leg breaker by Peter Crouch\u00a0on live TV.<\/p>\n
‘Tony Cascarino compared Pickford to\u00a0Roy Keane, who ended the career of Haaland (who went on to play after the injury), the Manchester City striker’s father.<\/p>\n
‘I did not comment on Van Dijk’s play with compassion on Twitter. I maintain that he’s no longer the designated captain of the Dutch national team.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘But it is certain that Pickford, who did not even receive a card before his attack, is responsible for the demise of Virgil’s career.’<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Pickford completely missed the ball and crunched the knee of Liverpool defender van Dijk<\/p>\n
Other stars at the time, such as midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, chimed in to show support for the defender and claimed that Pickford’s tackle was ‘stupid’.<\/p>\n
‘The way Pickford went into the challenge was completely, in my opinion, stupid,’ Wijnaldum said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘I believe that he didn’t want to injure Virgil the way he injured him but the way he took the tackle, he didn’t care about what happened after the tackle.<\/p>\n
‘I think we had it a lot with the games against Everton. In my opinion, they take it way too far in the games we play against them’.<\/p>\n
It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n