Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk is ready for the Netherlands' first World Cup group stage match against Senegal tomorrow afternoon.

The Dutch are in Group A alongwith their African opponents, Qatar and Ecuador.

Van Dijk, who conducted his interview in English, said: “I'm very excited for the game tomorrow and the first one for us in the tournament. We have trained hard and had important sessions. I'm looking forward to the World Cup now."

Holland coach Louis van Gaal also had some words of praise for his captain.

He said: "I've been a coach for 30 years…I've worked with many captains but he (Van Dijk) is a truly excellent captain."