Van Dijk pens emotional message after Liverpool comeback

After lengthy spells on the sidelines out injured, Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez made their respective comebacks for Liverpool on Thursday.

Virgil van Dijk paid tribute to all those who aided and supported him during his recovery from a serious knee injury.

After nine months out from an anterior cruciate ligament injury against Everton last October, Van Dijk returned to action for Liverpool in a pre-season friendly against Hertha BSC. He replaced Nathaniel Phillips as a 69th-minute substitute and donned the skipper’s armband.

Joe Gomez, who had been out with a knee injury since November, made his own comeback at the same time as Van Dijk as a substitute for Rhys Williams.

“285 days ago, I started on a journey back towards playing,” Reds defender Van Dijk wrote on Instagram after the match.

“It’s hard to express how I am feeling, but it’s important to me that I say I feel blessed to have had the support of so many incredible people.

“The surgeon, my physios, coaches, and staff who have been with me in my corner since day one. My team-mates for giving me energy and keeping my head up. The fans for their love, support, and encouragement. And most of all, my family because without them, I’d be nothing. Thank you.

“The work doesn’t stop now. It’s only just starting. We keep going!”

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What did Klopp have to say?

Hertha may have won the friendly 4-3, but Liverpool were arguably the biggest winners. Van Dijk and Gomez’s returns are a tremendous boost. The defenders were heavily missed last season and their absences coincided with a big dip in form from the Reds.

“It was a nice feeling,” said Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

“Started immediately well and usually we all know that the fourth goal is a clear situation which saw and defend well. But that’s it.

“I’m not sure, 260-something days for Virg and not much less for Joe they didn’t play football, so it’s nice to have them back. It was the first step, really important.”