Virgil van Dijk's former teammate Shane Long has passionately defended the Liverpool captain, insisting he should be exempt from the criticism directed at the team. Liverpool are enduring a disappointing 2025/26 season, failing to defend their Premier League title and exiting all cup competitions early. Van Dijk's performances have been questioned, but Long believes the Dutchman is not to blame for the club's inconsistency.
Long's Defence of Van Dijk
Speaking to Midnite, Long said: "Virgil van Dijk will stay at Liverpool as long as he wants. You look at Virgil when he was 28, and he very rarely sprinted because he was always in the right position. He didn't need a side tackle because he was always in the right position. He has self-control on the ball." Long, who played alongside Van Dijk at Southampton before his 2018 move to Liverpool, added that even if the 34-year-old has lost a yard of pace, it would not impact his game due to his positioning and intelligence.
Liverpool's Struggles
Liverpool sit fifth in the Premier League with five games remaining, focusing on securing Champions League qualification. They were eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals, Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals, and Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup fourth round. A rare high came when Van Dijk's injury-time header secured a 2-1 win over Everton in the Merseyside derby, his sixth goal in his 50th appearance of the campaign.
Long argued that Liverpool's issues lie elsewhere: "I just think that the club as a whole, Liverpool are struggling at the moment. It's the nine or 10 players around that are struggling really. You see a lot of the goals that have been conceded, it comes from the other side or from the wings, and it's not really Virgil's doing." He believes Van Dijk remains a top-level player with two or three years left at the highest level, citing his fitness and ever-present availability.
Criticism Unfair
Long concluded: "But then when he is in the vicinity, he's highlighted for the wrong reasons just because he has been that good and he's established a level now that people just want to tear him down." The defender's consistency and leadership have been vital for Liverpool, and Long's comments suggest the captain is not the root cause of the team's poor form.
