Virgil van Dijk has insisted Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah can use his World Cup heartbreak with Egypt as fuel for a potential quadruple at club level.
Star forward Salah missed his side’s first spot-kick after being targeted with dozens of lasers and was pelted with objects by opposition fans in his side’s crucial World Cup qualifying play-off against Senegal, which the Indomitable Lions won 3-1 on penalties after the game finished 1-0 on the night in Dakar, and 1-1 on aggregate.
But van Dijk, who played 90 minutes in Holland’s 1-1 friendly draw against Germany simultaneously, asked ‘did he lose?’ before then giving his verdict on Salah’s ability to bounce back.
Virgil van Dijk has backed Mohamed Salah (centre) to bounce back from World Cup heartbreak
Salah was targeted by lasers then missed his spot-kick as Egypt lost on penalties vs Senegal
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The Pharoahs star was then pelted with objects by opposition fans as he left the pitch following his side’s costly defeat, which knocks them out of contention for the Qatar World Cup in 2022
He said: ‘Well obviously, I feel sorry for Mo and for Egypt, but football is sometimes like this.
‘I am sure he will turn the disappointment into success for the rest of the season. We still have everything to play for so there is a lot of things still to achieve for him.
‘As for Sadio, I wish him all the best and if he is in our group, he is going to need that good luck!’
But Reds team-mate van Dijk (left) insisted Salah can use his disappointment with how things went at international level to achieve success, and a potential quadruple, at Anfield this season
Jurgen Klopp’s side are still on course for a historic quadruple – having already won the League Cup, they are in the FA Cup semi-finals, the Champions League quarter-finals and are one point behind leaders Manchester City in the Premier League.
Egypt’s defeat was a repeat of the Africa Cup of Nations final on February 6, which the Pharoahs also lost against Senegal – although ironically in that game, Salah was scheduled to take his country’s fifth penalty but by that point they had already lost.
Van Dijk’s Holland side have already qualified for the tournament, due to start in November later this year.