Van Dijk holds a meeting with Xavi: the reason is a surprise!

A future decision

Netherlands and Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has held direct talks with the new coach of his national team, Xavi Hernandez, to settle his international future.

Van Dijk, 35, has racked up 96 caps for his country across his career.

Change is sweeping through the Dutch Football Association. After the Netherlands settled for a last-32 finish at the World Cup, Ronald Koeman departed following the tournament, with former Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez stepping in as his successor.

Doubts linger over whether Van Dijk will feature for the Netherlands going forward. Keen to reach a decision, the defender pushed for talks with new boss Xavi, according to British newspaper "Mirror".

Dutch media report that a fresh meeting will take place over the coming weeks. The pair also spoke in midweek, when Liverpool faced Spanish giants Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

Van Dijk recently said of his future: "I feel I am still able to provide value and importance to the team. If we agree on that, then we have two good years ahead of us before Euro 2028. And if we don't agree, then we will see what happens".

Four matches await the Netherlands during the international break. They open their UEFA Nations League campaign against Germany, before two games with Serbia and another against Greece.

His club future demands answers too. The Dutchman has just one year left on his Liverpool deal, and speculation suggests the club's hierarchy will hold off on any contract talks until next year.