"I’m doing well, I’m doing well. It’s obviously been a tough pre-season, coming back from such a long time to be playing and training with the boys again is a big thing," Virgil van Dijk has said in an interview with Liverpool's official website.
"It’s been tough at times, but we try to manage everything with Andreas Schlumberger, who is close contact with me and Joe [Gomez]. We’re still getting managed, but we’re doing very well."
The Dutchman made his first appearance for the Reds in a 4-3 friendly loss to Hertha Berlin last Thursday since suffering a severe knee injury in the Merseyside derby in October 2020.
"A lot. It’s something I’ve worked for [for] so long. It might be a small thing, but the start of team training was such a big day for me; normally I don’t really get nervous but those kind of small things make me, not nervous, but a bit excited and stuff," Virgil added on his return to action.
"The same goes for the game – you’ve been visualising so many times yourself playing a game again and just to be out there again. There are obviously plenty of things to improve still and to get back to full fitness, but to get out there again gave me so much confidence.
"I am just ready to crack on, to push on again. That’s what I want to do, so I just keep going and the next one is on Thursday."
A video of Van Dijk and Joe Gomez, who also spent more than six months on the sidelines with the same injury, entering the pitch against Hertha has gone viral on the web over the past few days.
Vigil says that he'll never forget that moment.
"Special. We said it to each other, we have to soak it all up, we have to take it in, enjoy it, let it make you stronger, let it make you even hungrier to stay fit," he concluded.
"To be standing there at that moment, at that time, was special. I will never forget that."
Now, the 30-year-old looks set to feature against Bologna on Thursday as Liverpool's pre-season camp continues.
