Michael Owen has told Premier League Productions (14/08/21 at 6:30 pm) about what he has been told about Vigil van Dijk’s gym work during the Liverpool defender’s time in the treatment room.
The former striker shared that he’s been told that Van Dijk has returned as a ‘beast of a man’ after 300 odd days away from Liverpool colours.
Van Dijk started Liverpool’s 3-0 win at Norwich, and to the surprise of nobody, he looked like his effortless self out on that Carrow Road pitch.
Nonetheless, this is what Owen had to say about Van Dijk’s improved physique.
“When you have a knee injury, you are in the gym every day,” said Owen. “There’s nothing to do. Once you do all the stuff they are telling you to do on your legs, you think, well, ‘let’s do some upper body’.
“You end up coming back twice as big and strong. You do put on a bit of muscle mass.
“One or two people I have spoken to have said that he’s a beast of a man. It’s hard to say that because he was a beast of man when he left the pitch at Goodison Park.
“But he has done a lot of work in the gym. I expect him to get better as the season goes on.”
It will be interesting to see who plays regularly alongside Van Dijk this season because Joel Matip was the one selected at the weekend.
But as the games build-up for Van Dijk, will Jurgen Klopp manage his game time and provide chances to the likes of Ibrahima Konate or another returning injured start in Joe Gomez?
Either way, the Reds won’t have any problems in central defence this time around because they are packed in that department.
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