Virgil van Dijk made his first Liverpool start since October 2020 against Norwich City on Saturday to complete his return from a serious knee injury.
The Netherlands defender had not feature for 10 months after damaging the anterior cruciate ligaments in his right knee in last October's Merseyside derby against Everton.
However, after missing the majority of the 2020-21 season and also Euro 2020, he is now fit again and back in Jurgen Klopp's first XI, helping them to a 3-0 victory at Carrow Road to make a strong start to the new Premier League campaign.
Back in the middle
Van Dijk was selected at centre-back alongside fellow returnee Joel Matip for Saturday's trip to Norfolk to face newly promoted Norwich, and together they kept a clean sheet.
🚨 TEAM NEWS IS IN 🚨
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 14, 2021
Here's your first Reds line-up of the 21/22 @premierleague campaign, with @VirgilvDijk making his first competitive start since last October 🙌 #NORLIV
Matip also missed a large portion of the last campaign after suffering an ankle ligament injury in January; while Joe Gomez makes the bench at Carrow Road having recovered from his own season-ending knee injury in November 2020.
The loss of three key defenders contributed to a disappointing term for Liverpool, who failed to retain their Premier League title and eventually had to settle for third place behind Manchester City and United.
After the game, Van Dijk told Sky Sports: "To be back out there helping the boys, I just hope to continue that and see what it brings. I need games but the manager knows it, I know it. It's a good start and now we have time to recover for next week.
"The first day of training with the group, you need to get back into normal habits, like shouting at people. It's just repetitions of normal habits. I made great steps in pre-season and this is another big step, so hopefully I can keep that going.
"Mentally it's tough. One day you're fully fit, the next you're full of medication and in pain. Everyone has their opinion [on his injury] and you read those things because you have nothing to do."
Klopp admits uncertainty
"Nobody knows, not even himself, if he is at 90 per cent or 95 fitness-wise," Klopp told reporters. "But from a form point of view, it is different. Each game helps obviously and it really helps him. It was really good to see him on the pitch, especially when defending set-pieces, he looked really good.
"Offensive set-pieces, we have two monsters with Joel [Matip] and Virgil, they are really good in the air.
"We scored from a second ball, I think Mo's goal was a brilliant routine, really. We got the opponents in that area and finished it off, so yes, it was nice to have [Van Dijk] back.
Looking ahead
The build-up to this weekend's Premier League curtain-raiser saw Van Dijk sign a new contract at Anfield, and he stated his hope that last season's injury nightmare was behind him.
"It is something to be very proud of, that I am very proud of, that my wife and my kids are very proud of and obviously my agency. All the hard work we’ve put in so far continues and I am looking forward to what the future brings together with Liverpool. I’m delighted, very happy and proud," he told the club's official website.
“Since day one when I joined the club, I felt so much appreciation from the fans and from my teammates and the staff, that I could be a very important member of this football club.
“It has been going well; unfortunately last season for me personally has been a season to forget, to learn from and take with me, but I have enjoyed my time here and will keep enjoying it in the next couple of years altogether with all of you.”
The Dutchman joined Liverpool from Southampton in January 2018 for a club-record fee of £75 million ($104m), and immediately made his presence felt as he strengthened the Reds' backline alongside fellow new arrival, goalkeeper Alisson.
The Netherlands captain has made 130 appearances for the club, scoring 13 goals, while boasting Premier League and Champions League winner's medals during his two and a half years at Anfield to date.