"Lets you feel relaxed and not stressed" - Virgil van Dijk discloses off-the-pitch technique to remain calm during Liverpool matches
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has shared what he does off the pitch to maintain his top-level performance. The Dutchman ascribed his consistent peak-level performance to meditation, breathing exercises and good nutrition.
Van Dijk, who moved to Anfield in 2018 from Southampton, has been an integral part of Liverpool’s success over the years. Apart from winning every possible title except the UEFA Europa League, Van Dijk has also won many individual awards. Moreover, the Dutch international is regarded as one of the top players in his position.
While Van Dijk is often praised for his exceptional performances in a Liverpool shirt, the defender shed light on the importance he gives to off-pitch recovery methods. He said (via Mirror):
"Meditation is definitely something we do now, and I try to do breathing exercises now and then in the evenings, and get into a nice, calming state. I feel like it helps as well, every little bit that makes you recover well or sleep well, or lets you feel relaxed and not stressed, helps.
"After a game, I will come home and then do all the stuff that for me is normal. Going in the sauna, ice bath, the pool, exercises in order to get your body ready to recover as quickly as possible."
He added:
''I try to do all things the same, even when we're on the road. Normally we don't sleep in the same place we have travelled to, we travel back home straight away, so you could be getting home at midnight or something or later even.
"I still do all my work then, so, for me, it doesn't really change. It also helps when you see the benefits of what you're doing and then it makes it a lot easier to keep continuing, but I definitely have my routines."
The defender concluded:
"It's also important to eat well with nutrition and obviously the club is helping with that too. I've got my own chef so that helps, but the most important thing is sleep.
"It's not always possible as sometimes after a game you can't really sleep directly, but then you balance it out and do a little nap in the afternoon, so you have to try and play with it."
Van Dijk has scored 25 goals and provided 13 assists for the Liverpool in 293 appearances across competitions.
Liverpool confident that Virgil van Dijk will extend his stay
According to The Times, Liverpool are confident that Virgil van Dijk will extend his current deal, which expires in the summer. Van Dijk, along with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah, are out of contract at the end of the season.
While Alexander-Arnold and Salah have been linked with a move to Real Madrid recently, Van Dijk has been quite tight-lipped about his future at Anfield. Amid reports of his exit, Liverpool’s sporting director Richard Hughes and head coach Arne Slot believe the player wants to remain at the club. Slot considers Van Dijk a priority for the club:
“You (the media) see all the games and he is outstanding during them, but he has such a big impact during training sessions as well. He is the vocal leader of the team and every time we start an exercise he is on top of his teammates, and he leads by example.
"So, for me, he has been outstanding until now, and I only hope he can continue showing this during the games and the training sessions as long as he is with us.”
This season, Van Dijk has scored twice and provided an assist for Liverpool in 23 appearances across competitions.
