Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has revealed that the Premier League champions will have Christmas Day off for the first time in his career at the club. Following their 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool’s next match is scheduled for December 27 against Wolves.
Typically, Premier League teams play on Boxing Day (December 26), which means players usually train on Christmas Day or the day before. However, this season only one Premier League fixture falls on December 26, allowing Liverpool manager Arne Slot to give his squad the day off to celebrate Christmas with their families.
Van Dijk expressed his appreciation for the break, saying, “We have Christmas Day off which is very nice of the staff. It’s a nice change. I’ll be at home on Christmas Eve too and I’m really looking forward to it.”
He added, “The staff always have a particular plan for a game. It works well for everyone. It’s special to be off on Christmas Day. I don’t think it’s happened in my Premier League career so far. I’ll make the most of being with my family and enjoy it all.”
The Liverpool squad celebrated their recent success with a Christmas dinner on Saturday night after extending their unbeaten run to six matches. Their win at Tottenham was secured by goals from Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, despite a late goal from Richarlison and two red cards for Tottenham players Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero.
Van Dijk also revealed he had a private conversation with Simons, a fellow Netherlands international, after the midfielder was sent off for a challenge on him. “Yeah I spoke to him. It’s a chat that no-one needs to know. I don’t think there was any intention to hurt me but obviously he hurt me and the referee and the VAR made the decision to send him off,” van Dijk said.
With Liverpool currently level on points with fourth-place Chelsea, van Dijk emphasized the team’s focus on pushing forward after a challenging first half of the season. “The aim is to try to win every game ahead of us. Unfortunately this season has had a lot of difficult moments in terms of results and performances as well. But all we can try to do is get better. We’re at a club where we have a lot of opportunities to show what we can do. We focus on Christmas and being with the family, and then we focus on Wolves,” he concluded.
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