Virgil van Dijk admits he regrets provocative post-match comments following Liverpool’s Carabao Cup triumph… and the defender has hired a physio and chef to help stay in shape

Virgil van Dijk has spent time studying legendary figures from other sports such as LeBron James, Novak Djokovic and Tom Brady as the Liverpool captain looks to unleash a new level in his game and remain at the top for many years to come.

The Dutchman insists that basketball icon ‘King James’ carries the perfect slogan, ‘fight for greatness’, which sums up Liverpool’s fight for four trophies in a season in which many, including fans and staff of the Reds, were conservative with their trophy ambitions.

“(LeBron and I) haven’t spoken, but we have exchanged messages with each other,” he said. ‘I like basketball. I look at all the best athletes at the highest level because everyone has an important role, whether as a role model or for their team and community, and there are many things you can learn.

‘The way they behave on the field or on the court, but also what they do to be great. There’s LeBron, Djokovic, (Roger) Federer, Brady… I could name many. I like listening to these guys and learning how they dealt with being on top and dealing with the tough times.

‘That phrase LeBron uses is perfect. I definitely try to follow that because I want to achieve as much as I can in life and get the most out of myself, the team and the position we’re in. We’re in a good place to do it this season, again.

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‘Every season is always a challenge, but this season we are in a special situation. “There are no guarantees but we feel it is quite special because of the way we have overcome things as a group, like the news of the manager leaving, the red cards, the injuries and we can’t forget the youngsters.”

Van Dijk has hired a personal team, including a physiotherapist and a chef, to help him get in the best possible shape after many rival fans accused him of being past his best following a serious ACL injury. The 32-year-old posed with the Carabao Cup trophy and joked “they said he was done for.”

But the winner of the cup final match says he regrets those provocative comments that made the headlines; He now wants to focus on blocking out the noise and leading Liverpool to as much success as possible this season.

“I shouldn’t have said that,” he added. ‘Because I don’t want to have bad intentions. That was part of the emotion that came out of me because there were a lot of emotions running through my body that day. Last season was disappointing.

“I didn’t disappoint in the sense that I was bad, I didn’t feel that way at all, it was below my standards and there wasn’t the consistency that I had and set out for in each and every game.” Maybe it was good to say it because it gets on my nerves, but I don’t like the noise around me.

“The holidays helped me a lot in the summer and put me in good shape. I feel very comfortable this season in all aspects of the game, obviously confidence is a big factor when you play, but overall I think I have made great strides in possession.

‘The coach said the other day that it is not as simple as wearing the armband and that there are many things that fall into place again. The responsibility I have has helped that, but I feel like I have taken steps (forward). “I want to continue enjoying it and see what it leads to.”

Meanwhile, Van Dijk’s defensive partner Ibrahima Konate is a major doubt for Sunday’s trip to Manchester United after suffering a minor setback to his hamstring injury. Ryan Gravenberch has returned to training and could be in the squad.