“To be able to play there was a big one” – Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk picks best away stadium he played in
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk picked Barcelona stadium Camp Nou as the best away stadium that he has ever played in.
Van Dijk has played at some of the biggest grounds in the world with the Reds and the Dutch national team. However, Camp Nou has clearly left a special place in the former Southampton defender's heart.
He was part of Jurgen Klopp's side that lost 3-0 to Barcelona in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final during the 2018-19 season.
Watch Van Dijk talk to Neville:
While speaking to Gary Neville on The Overlap show, the 31-year-old said:
"Camp Nou, Barcelona. For myself, watching a lot of Barcelona games when I was younger and then to be able to play in it, with Celtic the first time and get beat 6-1..but to be able to play there was a big one."
Despite losing the first leg at Camp Nou by a margin of three goals, Liverpool managed to turn the tie on its head. They defeated the Catalan club by a scoreline of 4-0 during the second leg of the Champions League semi-final.
Divock Origi scored the eventual winner for Jurgen Klopp's side to hand them a ticket to the final of the competition.
Virgil van Dijk reveled Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp can be angry at his players sometimes
Virgil van Dijk conceded in his interview with Gary Neville that Jurgen Klopp can sometimes be unnecessarily angry in the Liverpool dressing room. However, the Dutchman added that he personally likes it as it helps him.
Van Dijk said (via The Boot Room):
“He shouts a lot. The thing I like is that when someone does that it’s because they really care about you or the situation and want to make sure it improves or get anyone else sharper. I really enjoy that in a certain way and it helps me personally."
Nottingham Forest defeated the Reds by a scoreline of 1-0 over the weekend, which brought a halt to their two-game winning streak. Klopp's side entered the game on the back of consecutive wins against Manchester City and West Ham United.
The Reds currently sit in eighth spot in the Premier League table, having collected 16 points from their first 11 games.
Van Dijk will look to be instrumental as his side take on Ajax next in the UEFA Champions League on October 27.