Virgil van Dijk won’t make Euro 2020.

The Dutch centre-half will focus on recovering ahead of the new Premier League season with Liverpool.

Virgil van Dijk is focussed on recovering for the next campaign [Getty]

Netherlands and Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has confirmed that he will not be participating in Euro 2020 as he focuses on continuing his recovery from the knee ligament injury he sustained earlier in the season.

The Reds centre-back has been out of action since October 2020, and he has admitted he will use the summer to get ready for the start of the 2021-22 Premier League campaign.

"Seven months ago I got injured and it’s been a very, very long road," he told Liverpool's official website.

"I had to take it step by step, as I have done. Things have been going well, I’ve not had a real setback or anything, I’ve just progressed nicely.

"In this latest stage for myself, I have come to a decision that I had to make: would I be involved in the Euros, yes or no?

"With everything that is going on, I feel physically it is the right decision that I’ve decided not to go to the Euros and to go into my last phase of rehab during the off-season.

"So, the full focus will be on pre-season with the club and that’s a realistic goal, so I am looking forward to that.

"Obviously I am very gutted to miss the Euros, to miss the European Championship and leading out my own country there, but things have been like they have and I have to accept it – we all have to accept it.

"I think the decision to not go is the right decision in the grand scheme of things. It’s tough, but I’m at peace with it."

Van Dijk continued: "I think this decision has definitely been the right one, in my opinion, to give my body and my knee a little bit more extra time to get ready for hopefully a big, big 18 months at least with the club but also with my country because we’re trying to go to the next tournament after this as well and that starts in September," he said.

"I knew for a fact before all of this – before this decision and in the beginning of my rehab – there would be pressure on myself in this case.

"Hopefully, everybody wants me to be back as quick as possible, but for me, it is to get back as good as possible and the time is not the most important thing."

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