Virgil van Dijk returns to Southampton training after summer-long Liverpool transfer saga
Dutch centre-back looked a cert to leave the South Coast but his club stood firm and rejected his transfer request
VIRGIL VAN DIJK is working his way back from sinner to saint by returning to Southampton training after his Liverpool transfer saga.
The Dutchman was linked with a move to Anfield all summer but the St Mary’s side refused to sell another of their stars to the Kop club.
The 26-year-old handed in a transfer request in a desperate attempt to force through a move to join Jurgen Klopp.
But the deal collapsed in June when Liverpool were accused of launching an “illegal approach” and the centre-back was left stranded.
The ex-Celtic defender trained away from Mauricio Pellegrino’s first-team squad during the transfer stand-off.
Van Dijk is desperate to impress at a big club in the season before the World Cup but will have to prove his worth at the Saints.
Despite standing to make a massive profit on the £11.5m paid two years ago, Saints chairman Ralph Kruege insisted Van Dijk was not for sale and he stood firm.
VdV thrived at St Mary’s since leaving Scotland in 2015, and was appointed as club captain after Jose Fonte left to join West Ham back in January.
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The defender has already missed the start of the Premier League season, with his side picking up five points from games against Swansea, West Ham and Huddersfield.
But he could be back in line for a first-team return on Saturday against Watford.
It remains to be seen the reception Southampton fans give their former hero after he spent the summer trying to leave them in the lurch.
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When Klopp ruled out making van Dijk his fifth summer signing, he said: “Look out there and tell me five that would make us stronger. Five. Then you win a prize. It's difficult how it is.
“We have four. I don't think we need more. We cannot force the things and we would never get a centre back just because (of the sake of it).
"I'm happy. You can imagine we are still working on different things and we will see if it works. I am already here to work with this squad and not just always thinking 'but if we don't get this or this'."