Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Sport

Southampton's Van Dijk still open to transfer

Soccer Football - Premier League - Stoke City vs Southampton - bet365 Stadium, Stoke, Britain - September 30, 2017 Southampton's Virgil van Dijk gestures Action Images via Reuters/Craig Brough

(Reuters) - Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk insists he has "no regrets" over his failed transfer request and is still open to a potential move from St Mary's in January.

Van Dijk was left out of Southampton's first-team squad by manager Mauricio Pellegrino after the Dutch international handed in a transfer request following interest from Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City in the transfer window.

The 26-year-old centre back returned to action, for the first time since January, against Palace last month but he has again cast doubt over his long-term future at the club.

"Well, a lot happened," Van Dijk told Fox Sports. "Learnt a lot, heard a lot, seen a lot and all that. Got some life experience.

"I'm not sorry for anything. Of course, I wanted to make a step up, but Southampton did not want me to sell me, but you're a professional, so now I'll give everything to the club.

"Halfway through the season, maybe we can see what's possible."

Van Dijk is currently with the Netherlands squad, who are in a tough qualification battle for a spot in the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia.

The Netherlands are third in Group A, three points behind second-placed Sweden and four behind group leaders France ahead of their matches against Belarus and the Swedes.

The group winners automatically qualify for the finals, with the second-placed teams entering playoffs.

(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.