Dutch legend makes monumentally stupid claim about Virgil van Dijk you must read to believe

Steve Pearson 14 Oct 2025 1:00 PM

Netherlands centre-back Virgil van Dijk

As far as icons in Dutch football go, Marco van Basten is up there with the best of them, but his latest claim about Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk is bizarre to say the least.

When filtering out the haters and those with obvious agendas, the common consensus is Virgil van Dijk is the best defender in world football and has been for a number of years.

His on-field abilities are undisputed, though no less important in Van Dijk’s game are his leadership capabilities.

Van Dijk has captained Liverpool with distinction since taking the armband in 2023. In truth, he was already a captain in everything but name long before former skipper, Jordan Henderson, left for Saudi Arabia.

Van Dijk speaks honestly and truthfully in every interview, and if focussing on the defender rather than the ball for just a few minutes during games, you’ll notice his mouth is more active than his feet.

Van Dijk constantly organises, orders and instructs those around him. When a fellow defender errs, Van Dijk is quick to chastise in his quest for sky high standards. On the rare occasions he’s the one to make the mistake, he’s always the first to hold his hand up in apology.

Van Dijk is everything Liverpool fans could have hoped for and more and while he’s captained the club for two-plus years, he’s actually skippered the Netherlands since 2018.

Yet according to Dutch legend, Marco van Basten, Van Dijk is NOT a leader. Let that sink in for just a second before reading Van Basten’s assessment…

Van Basten quotes on Van Dijk

Speaking after the Netherlands’ two World Cup qualifying wins over Malta and Finland – in which two clean sheets were kept and Van Dijk scored against the latter – Van Basten curiously said: “I think Van Dijk should be the leader.

“He should lead by example and be the driving force. I miss that in him. I find his mentality easy to handle.”

Van Basten added: “He’s a fantastic player, perhaps the best defender we have in the world. He can head the ball, he’s quick, he’s tall, and he has a good overview.

“He’s just not the leader who drives the team forward. That would be very beneficial for the team. I hope Arne Slot can teach him that.”

If taking Van Basten’s comments in a literal sense, they’re still bafflingly wide of the mark.

No centre-back in world football is better than Van Dijk at starting attacks from deep with pinpoint 40-50 yard passes into his forwards’ feet.

Van Dijk and Van Basten have previous beef

The recent comments aren’t the only critical ones Van Basten has aimed at Van Dijk.

Back in 2023, France blitzed the Netherlands 4-0 in a Euro 2024 qualifier. Van Dijk didn’t enjoy his best night in an orange jersey, though was hardly alone in that regard.

Yet it was the Liverpool man who Van Basten zeroed in on, declaring: “He makes noise, but he doesn’t say anything. He is not clear.

“A good captain thinks aloud, makes it clear what is going on. He stays in between. He creates chaos. That leads to misunderstandings. That is what you, as a captain, must prevent.

“In the dressing room he is good, football tactically and technically not. You need another gentleman on the field. This has to do with leadership. He makes noise, but he says nothing. That’s true. This is in you. This is wanting to win at all costs.”

Van Dijk was subsequently pressed for a response to his fellow countryman’s stinging remarks.

“This is of no use to me,” replied Van Dijk. “Everyone is allowed to have their own opinion these days, that’s the case.

“[But] did I set the bar unrealistically high? How is that possible? It was never perfect – constant is the right word.

“We’ve had a lot of success with the team. Football players, they [Van Basten and Ruud Gullit, who was also critical of Van Dijk] know that better than anyone, have high peaks and deep valley.”

There has always been a sense Van Dijk isn’t appreciated in the Netherlands to the same degree he is in England and in Liverpool especially.

Maybe it’s because the Netherlands haven’t lifted a major trophy during Van Dijk’s time in the team. But given their only major honour (1988 European championships) came nearly 40 years ago, Van Dijk can hardly be blamed for the drought in full.

Indeed, legendary names like Edwin van der Sar, Jaap Stam, the De Boer brothers, Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf, Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Dennis Bergkamp, Robin van Persie, Patrick Kluivert and Ruud van Nistelrooy have all turned out for the Netherlands in the ensuing years.

Like Van Dijk, they all won zilch for their country.