In UEFA Nations League League A Matchday 4, the Netherlands defeated Serbia 2-1. Following the match, Van Dijk, who earned his 100th international cap, spoke with ESPN.

Reporter: What was the best moment of tonight for you?

Van Dijk: My family was here, and I got to lead my son out onto the pitch. And of course, the victory in the match itself, because ultimately, what you want is to win. Simple as that.

Reporter: Right, but this is also your milestone 100th cap, and you certainly wouldn't have wanted it to end in defeat.

Van Dijk: Definitely not, no doubt about it.

Reporter: About the moment you led your son out—he seemed quite overwhelmed by the atmosphere?

Van Dijk: No, no, no. That's just how he looks, but actually the boy is really cool and confident. He was waving to the crowd in the tunnel, and I didn't even know who he was waving at, because my family's seats are on the other side of the stadium. But... yes, he's my pride.

Reporter: Does your son have football talent?

Van Dijk: Haha, we'll find out over the next few years. He trains and plays regularly, so let's see.

Reporter: As a father, this must have been an incredible experience. Emotionally, is tonight more meaningful than all 99 previous caps, completely different?

Van Dijk: When you're fully focused on the match, your mind is only on the game itself. But before and after, without a doubt, those are very special moments. For the rest of the time, the entire focus is on getting the win. We managed it in the end, and now I'm standing here answering your questions, and I can say I'm extremely proud.

Reporter: So "pride" is the keyword for you tonight?

Van Dijk: Of course. But more than that, it's gratitude. First and foremost, gratitude to my family, the most important people in my life; and I also want to thank all my teammates. I just said in the dressing room, thanks to all the coaching staff, former teammates, current teammates... and I'm looking forward to many more matches.

Reporter: Dumfries mentioned yesterday he didn't have time to buy you a gift, but...

Van Dijk: That's unfortunate.

Reporter: Yes.

Van Dijk: I told him straight that was pretty disappointing, haha, only joking.

Reporter: So what gift did you end up receiving?

Van Dijk: A beautiful commemorative silver plate and a wonderful speech from Marianne. I'm truly grateful for these things.

Reporter: What means the most to you about reaching 100 international caps?

Van Dijk: Reaching 100 caps is an achievement that not everyone can accomplish. And I am...

Reporter: The 11th player in Dutch history to achieve it?

Van Dijk: Yes. Growing up, I never dared dream about things like this, and even when I made my professional debut at Groningen, I never saw this as a realistic goal. It's not that I lacked confidence in myself, but I simply thought: it's amazing to play for the Netherlands, but 100 caps? That seemed far too distant.

Reporter: Why did it seem so distant back then?

Van Dijk: I'm not someone who typically looks too far ahead, and that's probably one of the reasons for my career success. I always take things step by step. Of course, at a certain point, when you see yourself consistently being selected and playing, and the 100-cap milestone approaches, you naturally push hard to achieve it. But my goal will certainly not stop at 100 caps.

Reporter: Indeed, when you made your debut in October 2015 on that artificial pitch in Kazakhstan, you couldn't possibly have imagined this was the start of such a long journey, right?

Van Dijk: No, I definitely didn't think that at the time, honestly. But I did believe I would play many more matches for the national team.

Reporter: How many caps do you think you might reach in the end?

Van Dijk: Haha, I think coach Koeman just mentioned that with the current congested schedule, reaching a certain number of caps seems easier than before. So I really can't say for sure. A lot depends on my performances on the pitch and how well I maintain my fitness and prepare properly for everything.

Reporter: So you'll never say, "I've reached 100 caps, mission accomplished, that's it"?

Van Dijk: Certainly not, that would be completely illogical. You won't stop now, ever. Especially considering the momentum the team has and the areas where we can still improve in the future, I believe I can still play a very important role in that.

Reporter: Should we talk about tonight's match?

Van Dijk: That depends on whether you want to, haha.

Reporter: From your perspective?

Van Dijk: In the end, we won!

Reporter: Yes, in the final minutes we really had to dig deep defensively on the goal line.

Van Dijk: Yes, absolutely. When you're playing with ten men and the opponent even brings the goalkeeper up to attack, it's chaos with everyone pushed forward. You have to defend with all your might, and fortunately we managed it.

Reporter: On the night of your 100th cap, there was another notable tactical adjustment—you played as a right centre-back?

Van Dijk: Quite interesting, right, haha!

Reporter: Whose idea was that?

Van Dijk: I only found out this morning.

Reporter: What did you think?

Van Dijk: Just get on with it! What else can I do? The coach obviously knows this isn't my most comfortable position, but because we were missing a right centre-back and we knew we'd have a lot of possession against Serbia with the ball circulating among three defenders, I completely understood the plan. Plus, Timber couldn't play the full ninety. So it's all about focus and commitment, and we got the job done.

Reporter: But from another angle, is there really a huge difference between moving 7.5 metres to the right versus 7.5 metres to the left?

Van Dijk: If it were that simple, it would be great! Your entire physical mechanics and movement habits are completely different; your muscle memory is built up on the left side. Whether it's long passes...

Reporter: Even the receiving angle and so on?

Van Dijk: Exactly, receiving, passing, and defensive positioning details. But it's fine, we won 2-1, thank you all very much.

Reporter: Well, congratulations on reaching your 100th cap. That's a wonderful milestone, a great evening.

Van Dijk: Thank you very much, it's an evening I'm extremely proud of, and I'm looking forward to many more appearances.

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