Virgil van Dijk stats are good reading for Andoni Iraola and dismiss Arne Slot theory
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Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk is currently away with Holland on international duty, and will play a different role with the Reds next season both on and off the pitchVirgil van Dijk defended Arne Slot against accusations he was too soft on players(Image: Getty Images)Virgil van Dijk will start the new season with a different head coach for the third time in successive seasons, and the center-back's form will likely play a huge role in the success of the Andoni Iraola era.Club captain Van Dijk is currently away in North America at the World Cup for Holland, and played 90 minutes in the Netherlands' 5-1 win over Sweden on Saturday afternoon alongside Micky van de Ven, who has been linked with a move to Anfield.He'll have a new centre-back partner next season, with Ibrahima Konate having departed for Real Madrid on a free transfer at the end of his contract. According to stats provided by WHOOP, Van Dijk logged 187 training sessions between August 2025 and June 2026, with a total of 17,282 minutes - 288 hours.For much of last season, there was a narrative around Liverpool that then-head coach Arne Slot had been too lenient on the team and had given them too much time off.Liverpool's players were criticized for taking time away from the club ahead of the Manchester United clashPlayers posting images to social media from abroad gave fans the impression they had been allowed too much time away from the training pitch, with many blaming that approach for the disastrous title defence last season.Players spoke out about that theory last season, with Van Dijk dismissing the idea that he and his teammates had too much time off.After the game against Manchester United - which Liverpool lost - Van Dijk hit out at suggestions Slot had given the players a holiday in the days building up to the defeat."I'm not sure it’s a holiday.
"But I think if you have one day off, and you don’t have many days off, everyone can decide what they want to do with their families. Everyone is an adult.Players posting images to social media from abroad gave fans the impression they had been allowed too much time away from the training pitch, with many blaming that approach for the disastrous title defence last season.Players spoke out about that theory last season, with Van Dijk dismissing the idea that he and his teammates had too much time off.After the game against Manchester United - which Liverpool lost - Van Dijk hit out at suggestions Slot had given the players a holiday in the days building up to the defeat."I'm not sure it’s a holiday.
"But I think if you have one day off, and you don’t have many days off, everyone can decide what they want to do with their families. Everyone is an adult.Virgil van Dijk is currently away with Holland at the World Cup(Image: (Photo by BSR Agency/Getty Images))"I want us to experience what I have had over my time here.