In the last round of World Cup qualifiers held early this morning, the Netherlands defeated Lithuania 4-0 at home and successfully qualified for next summer's World Cup. Dutch captain Van Dijk was interviewed after the game.
Van Dijk first said: "We completed what we had to do. We were a little careless at the end of the game, but overall it was a good victory. We have gone through some difficult stages in the qualifying rounds, and we have warm-up games in March and June next year to improve the team and prepare for the World Cup."
Van Dijk surpassed Frank de Boer and became the captain with the most appearances in the history of the Dutch national team. "I'm very proud to currently hold this record, but I'm even more proud to have been able to lead this group of players for so long. When I was a little boy, I never dared to dream of this. It is already great to represent the national team, let alone surpass Frank de Boer's record."
Holland and Van Dijk have also encountered some criticism. , he said: "Criticism is also a part of modern football, and you have to learn to deal with it. Is criticism fair? Everyone has his or her own opinion. You can't get praise from everyone, the key lies in your own state. If you think you can play better, you should continue to improve. Overall, I think I am keeping my focus. The focus has grown a lot."
Van Dijk then talked about next summer's World Cup: "The Netherlands is an excellent team and is used to playing top-level competitions. The important thing now is that we as a team work together to ensure that we become a team that is difficult to beat or even unbeatable. I am very much looking forward to it. . I also hope that many Dutch fans will go to the United States to watch the World Cup. I have full confidence in the team and anything can happen during the World Cup. I hope it will be positive for us."
Van Dijk, who has Suriname descent, finally said: "I hope Suriname can also qualify for the World Cup."