Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has dismissed 'completely baseless' claims he influenced former head coach Ronald Koeman's tactics at the World Cup. In an unusually spiky press conference with the Dutch media, the Netherlands skipper said it was 'utter nonsense' he had been involved in any tactical shifts which led to their round-of-16 exit to Morocco. 'One of your colleagues also said, of course, that it was my idea to switch to playing with a back five. That is utter nonsense,' Van Dijk told one reporter. 'The fact is we simply failed at the World Cup. Those are the hard facts.'

He emphasized that the plan was devised by the staff and that spreading such claims only makes him look worse. The 35-year-old could win his 100th cap in the current international break if he plays in all four of the Netherlands' Nations League matches against Germany, Greece and Serbia (twice). However, he admits he considered his international future after losing to Morocco on penalties, but quickly resolved to continue after speaking with new boss Xavi. 'After 10 seconds it was already clear that I would continue,' the defender added, citing trust and appreciation from the national coach.