Virgil van Dijk has revealed how taking a winter break helped him rediscover his best form after initially struggling this season following his horrific knee injury.
The Liverpool defender returned to action at the start of this season after 10 months out due to the anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered in the Merseyside derby against Everton.
But while his comeback at first helped stabilise Liverpool's defence, doubts began to set in about his ability post-operation, particularly after Liverpool's 3-2 win against Atletico Madrid in October and the 3-2 defeat to West Ham in early November.
"I felt a little bit taken for granted at times, like people were acting as if nothing had happened and everything was normal," Van Dijk told the Mail on Sunday.
"I had to really switch off and get myself clear in my head and make sure I told myself that everything that is happening right now is quite good and be proud of it.
"It isn’t really normal, after the injury I had, to be able to already play that amount of games and the level I had already reached, in my opinion.
"The games before the break, I felt I had good games but to keep that consistent level and also the level that everyone expected of me was always like a pressure. Even if I had a good game, I felt like no one appreciated it as much as they should."
Van Dijk was able to take a two-week break in December in between Liverpool's 1-0 win over Aston Villa and their 1-0 defeat to Leicester and he said it did him a world of good.
The results say so too. Liverpool won 11 of the 13 games after his break, conceding only seven goals. Van Dijk looked especially imperious in the 2-0 win at Inter Milan in the Champions League and has also got back among the goals, scoring against Crystal Palace and Leeds.
"There were a lot of things going through my head before the break. I needed to have time with my family, switch off, clear my head and recharge so I was ready to go," he added.
"I went on a nice beach holiday far away with my family and my kids and it was really needed. 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."
‘After Manchester City’s recent form, maybe they’re the underdogs against Manchester United!’ Former Red Devils defender on this weekend’s derby
‘Arteta, Alonso, Emery, me… none of us were physical players – we needed the understanding of the game. That probably helped us move into management’: Premier League boss reveals reasons for natural career progression
