Virgil van Dijk: Harry Kane mentally struggled with injury in Champions League final and could also for England

Virgil van Dijk believes Harry Kane was mentally affected by his ankle injury in the Champions League final and suggests it could be a factor if he plays for England against Netherlands on Thursday night.

Van Dijk was speaking ahead of the Uefa Nations League semi-final in Guimarães where he could face Kane for the second time in the space of five days.

The Dutch defender negated Kane with ease on Saturday as Liverpool cruised to a 2-0 win over Spurs to claim a sixth European Cup.

It was the Tottenham and England forward’s first match for two months after suffering ankle ligament damage against Manchester City and didn’t look his usual self.

Van Dijk said: “Kane is a fantastic striker, one of the best in England, and definitely the best striker England have got for the national team.

“But I know also that, if you're not 100 per cent fit, it'll be in your head if you get a bit of a knock or you get a bit of pain when you pass it. I expected him to play the final, but not at 100 per cent. I don't know if he'll play tomorrow, but we'll see.”

Given the short amount of time between matches, there is a possibility that Kane won’t be in the first XI anyway.

One man Van Dijk is certain to face is Raheem Sterling, who he beat to the PFA Players’ player of the year award but lost out to the Manchester City star for the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year trophy.

Their rivalry had an added factor after Manchester City beat Liverpool in the title race by one point, despite the latter accruing a remarkable tally of 97.

Van Dijk added: “The focus of attention is on all of them (the England players). That's something to be pretty clear for all of us. They have a lot of quality.

“But you can't deny he had a great season. He played well, was a big part of the success City had this season.

“But if you look at City, they had four or five of the same importance. He's a very important player, a good player, and we'll see tomorrow.”

With Liverpool enjoying a parade around the city on Sunday to celebrate their Champions League triumph, Van Dijk has had little time to prepare for the clash with Gareth Southgate’s side.

But he warned: “I'm completely in the Nations League mode. That's not really difficult, honestly.

“Since yesterday we've had a very good training session, a team meeting, and we are focusing completely on the spirit of the team with a wonderful programme ahead.

“The atmosphere is great, as always. It was before I turned up, too. Things are fine in my mind.

“Obviously, if you ask anyone who is going to play tomorrow, they'll say they're not 10 per cent. Everyone has a full season behind them.

“But there is a chance to win a trophy here. For us as a group, we want to go for it and give everything we've got. It'll be tough, but we're going for it and full of confidence as well.

“I remember last year when I came back feeling bad, very disappointed for quite a while. It's not easy to come back from it. If they play, they'll want to show themselves and try and win the game. We'll see if they will play.”

Van Dijk’s displays for club and country over the last two years has seen many pundits label him as the best defender in the world and in the same category as legends such as Paulo Maldini and Alessandro Costacurta.

But the 27-year-old insisted: “I don't think I'm in that category yet or at all at this moment. But I'm feeling good.

“I've had a good season so far. A good year. But, for me, it's just a start. I want to keep doing what I'm doing, keep progressing, keep working hard and hopefully win a lot more trophies with Liverpool and the national team.”