Virgil van Dijk struggled to keep his emotions in check after the Netherlands' 2-1 win over Serbia. The Netherlands captain won his 100th cap and told NOS that the milestone means a great deal to him.
The 35-year-old Liverpool legend said he took a moment in the dressing room to thank those around him. "I was very grateful to the group, to the staff and the staff members I have worked with in the past."
Above all, though, his thoughts were with those closest to him. "But ultimately I am most grateful for my family, who were there tonight as well. A special evening, a wonderful milestone, and certainly something I am very proud of."
For a moment, it all got to him in the dressing room. "I did find it difficult for a moment in the dressing room just now and I am quite emotional, I have to say. Especially at moments like this, I think it is difficult after all," says the visibly emotional Van Dijk.
He also made clear he has no intention of stopping here. "But I am so grateful. It was a wonderful evening. One hundred matches is a wonderful milestone, but it does not stop at one hundred. It is something I never dared dream of. It felt far too distant even to let it enter my mind when I was young."
Head coach Xavi Hernández also revealed what he said in the dressing room about and to Van Dijk. "I said that he is an example. That I am very proud."
Since their first meeting, Van Dijk has left a major impression on him. "Since our first meeting he has done tremendous work, for himself and the team. He is a real leader, I am so proud that I am his coach," said Xavi.
Van Dijk, meanwhile, started as the right-sided centre-back to free up space on his preferred left side for makeshift defender Teun Koopmeiners. Hans Kraay junior believes it should also be the last time they form a central pairing.