In the UEFA Nations League A fourth matchday, the Netherlands defeated Serbia 2-1 at home. After the match, Ziggo Sport interviewed Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk.

Reporter: Virgil, you've now played 100 matches for the national team. That's a significant milestone. Do you have any particularly memorable moments from those 100 matches that stand out?

Virgil van Dijk: There are certainly many unforgettable moments. I remember beating France at home in De Kuip, and scoring a last-minute goal against Germany away from home...

Reporter: A late goal, you mean?

Virgil van Dijk: Yes, exactly. And then beating Germany 3-0 at home, and winning against Greece with a last-minute penalty away. I've experienced so many remarkable moments along the way. Ultimately, I feel very honored and fortunate to have represented the Dutch team at this milestone of 100 caps. It's truly special.

Reporter: You continue to play at your highest level and go the full 90 minutes regularly. But in such a demanding and fast-paced career as a footballer, do you find time to reflect on the past?

Virgil van Dijk: Only during the summer break, really. The summer break gives us a few weeks of rest. But to be honest, it's really difficult to find time for that normally. I have two days off now, so tomorrow evening, if I'm free, I'll go out and enjoy some time with my wife, do something fun, and we can sit down and talk through things and reflect. But that's good.

Reporter: You must be proud at this point. This Dutch team is full of your style, and you've naturally become a leader since joining. Do you remember how you were first chosen as captain?

Virgil van Dijk: At that time, the team was in a transition period between experienced and new players, and Ronald Koeman played an important role in that. The group we had was very united. Additionally, moving the national team training base to Zeist was also very helpful.

Reporter: Can you explain why?

Virgil van Dijk: At the training facility, we lived close together every day. Noordwijk wasn't wrong at all—not wrong at all—but moving the camp at that time was the right decision. As I mentioned earlier, the entire team was very cohesive, and because we had a core group of strong players, manager Ronald Koeman was able to build the team carefully on that foundation. Everyone stayed healthy, and many key players reached their peak form. Everything went smoothly, and the younger and more experienced players blended perfectly in that team. I'm truly grateful to Ronald Koeman for establishing me as a key player in the team. I was grateful to him even before that, because he taught me many valuable things. Those years were truly remarkable.

Reporter: In my view, you're a natural leader. But as captain, you often face immense pressure that's difficult to manage. The media, your teammates, the coaching staff—everyone has high expectations of you. How has this felt over the past few years?

Virgil van Dijk: It's truly a natural responsibility. It's the same at Liverpool. I feel the weight of responsibility deeply, but I've never said it's easy, because I genuinely face pressure and scrutiny from all around. But it's part of what comes with being here. Taking responsibility for everyone around me—not just the players on the pitch, but all the support staff and everyone in the organization—that sense of responsibility will always stay with me. I will continue to remain steadfast, play an important role at my club, and give my all for the national team.

Reporter: I did a quick calculation earlier, and if you want to break the record for most caps for the Dutch national team, you'd need to play for another couple of years after the next Euros.

Virgil van Dijk: I'm not someone who plans too far ahead. Yes, I've set clear goals for myself, and that is to lead the Dutch team to the best possible result at the next Euros. We're currently building the team toward an excellent objective. In these four matches, the team showed many positive things and also identified areas where we need to improve. But when welcoming a new manager, this is completely normal—a new coaching staff, different training philosophies, and new tactical approaches. That's why I think these two weeks of training camp were very valuable for the manager, giving him enough time to review and assess where we can improve.

Reporter: As a final question, since I started with the highlights, I'd also like to ask—and this might be a bit tough—can you choose the lowest point in your national team career?

Virgil van Dijk: That would be the period when I suffered a severe knee injury and missed Euro 2020. I think that was personally very difficult for me. But the lads in the team gave me tremendous support—Wijnaldum, De Vrij, De Roon, and all my other teammates—they gave me great encouragement and strength during my toughest time. De Ligt and Strootman were there too. Many brothers in the team and support staff always stood by me. So if I have to choose the lowest point, that would be it. But I'm not someone who dwells on pain and difficult times. I always keep an optimistic mindset and look forward. And I'm truly grateful and satisfied with everything I have today.

Reporter: That's wonderful to hear. Thank you very much, and we wish you all the best for many more years with the national team.

Virgil van Dijk: Ha, well that's exactly my plan.

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