Virgil van Dijk claims he was "taken for granted" after Liverpool injury return

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Virgil van Dijk claims it was "taken for granted" that he would again return and immediately hit the heights he achieved before his horrific injury.

The Liverpool centre-half spent nearly the entirety of last season on the treatment table having hobbled off in the Merseyside derby in October 2020.

He was scythed down by Jordan Pickford and sustained cruciate ligament damage.

Prior to that he had helped the Reds claim their first ever Premier League title, which came 12 months after he'd won the PFA Player of the Year award and the Champions League.

For many, the Dutchman was the best central defender on the planet, often looking composed and assured at the back.

Inevitably questions were asked when Van Dijk didn't appear to be at 100 per cent following his return and the 30-year-old believes getting back to his best was never going to happen overnight.

"It was always going to take time from the pre-season until now," he told the Daily Mail.

"I feel very good. I think the winter break really helped me, to get away with my family, to get some time to really switch off, not to think about football and the pressure we are all under.

"I felt a little bit taken for granted at times, like people were