A "fateful decision": Xavi settles Van Dijk's future with the Netherlands

The national team's new coach

Virgil van Dijk has admitted that the decision to continue his international career with the Netherlands was "big and decisive", but he stressed that he felt reassured after his talks with Xavi, the new Netherlands manager.

The Liverpool captain has racked up 96 international caps to date. Last month, though, he revealed he was weighing up his future with the national team after the departure of Ronald Koeman, who resigned last June following the Netherlands' round-of-32 defeat to Morocco at this summer's World Cup.

Talks with Xavi, the former Barcelona coach, proved fruitful, and the Dutch defender is now relishing a fresh chapter with his country. The Netherlands open their Nations League campaign against Germany, managed by Jürgen Klopp, on Thursday.

Van Dijk said: "It was clearly a big decision. I needed to feel confident, as well as a sense of respect and happiness, and everything I was looking for. Those things were there from the very first moment, so the conversation didn't need to be long."

He added: "The conversation was very positive, and I am really looking forward to joining the team and playing the four important upcoming matches. Let's make the next two years, at least, a wonderful period."