Virgil van Dijk 'at risk' and new Liverpool deal could backfire over two issues, doctor warns

EXCLUSIVE: After hailing 'machine' Mo Salah's new contract extension at Anfield, Dr Gareth Nye has raised the alarm over Virgil van Dijk following suit because of two key differences

Virgil van Dijk has penned a new two-year deal at Anfield but two key problems could make the deal come unstuck

Virgil van Dijk has committed his future to Liverpool with a new contract but will the talismanic leader be the same player he has been in his time with the club so far?

Liverpool’s iconic captain has penned a new two-year deal at Anfield after the 33-year-old’s contract had been due to expire at the end of this season. The Dutchman's extension means he could remain at the club until he is 35, and follows hotly on the heels of fellow senior player Mo Salah, who has also just signed on the dotted line.

But one Liverpool-mad doctor has raised some concerns about van Dijk's injury record and longevity at the top level of football.

Dr Gareth Nye, a biomedical science lecturer at the University of Salford - and Liverpool fan - revealed he had more concern about the defender's new contract, when compared to Salah’s.

van Dijk has been a rock at the back for the Reds since 2018

He was quick to point out that it was “obviously great news” but warned: “Positionally, van Dijk is at more risk of more serious injuries.”

He said this positional concern, tied in with van Dijk’s injury record, left him worried that there was a bigger chance of the contract extension backfiring on Liverpool.

“The way Liverpool play, van Dijk is high up the pitch and spends a significant amount of time in recovery runs.

“Defenders are significantly more likely to suffer ligament injuries in the knee and ankle and van Dijk has already suffered one serious cruciate ligament injury which sidelined him for nearly nine months.

“Once you have one injury like this there is a higher likelihood of reoccurrence – look at Joe Gomez.”

Mo Salah has also signed a new contract with Liverpool

Despite his fears, Dr Nye still had high hopes, but also warned his recovery times could be longer than Salah, who is a year younger and plays in a position less at risk of critical injuries.

“I hope and believe he will continue to be a solid defender and a key component in the LFC team during his extension however, he is at a significantly higher risk of suffering career-ending injuries than Salah for example and any injury will have a longer recovery time due to his key position.”

Despite this difference, however, Dr Nye also flagged that “most” of what he said following Salah’s contract extension also applied to van Dijk.

During that chat, he told the Star: “The biggest challenge in footballers over 30 is the physical demands it puts on the body.

“For most pro footballers like Mo Salah, he will be playing three games a week for most of the season and in some pinch points like the Christmas season where the turn around is only a few days. With training in between it can be physically stressful on the body.

The Kop will be hoping their hero can deliver more of the same

“You are also competing with younger players who may be naturally fitter or quicker which gives a perception that older players have a natural drop off.

“What we do see is the recovery rates are slower as we age, particularly in muscle. The natural reserve of stem cells used to repair tissue runs out and so muscle injuries may appear more often and take longer to heal.”

He added: “Essentially it's very individualistic and depends on the player's body, how they train, recover and heal. A big part of this will be avoiding big injuries.

“Mo Salah though is a machine when it comes to fitness and im sure has a great sports science team around him. There is no reason he can't join the likes of Ronaldo and Messi and the great James Milner and play at the very highest level for a very long time to come.”