A red card Virgil van Dijk received in the thrilling victory over Newcastle two weeks ago was out of character, he has conceded.

The 32-year-old captain of Liverpool was sent off in the first half of the Reds’ 2-1 win at St. James’ Park for bringing down Swedish attacker Alexander Isak, who was in on goal, with a savage tackle. Van Dijk disregarded referee John Brooks’s instructions to leave the field, even after VAR confirmed the original ruling.

After that, Jurgen Klopp stepped in as Van Dijk was arguing with the fourth official, Craig Pawson. After being issued an inappropriate conduct charge by The FA, the Dutchman made his way down the tunnel and is presently awaiting his penalty.

Van Dijk, addressing at a news conference while on international duty with the Netherlands, acknowledged that the behavior was out of character after giving it some thought.

He told the press, “That’s not like me, but it was a red card.” I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve gotten one in my whole career, but I’m guessing the number is around four. Despite that, I’ve gotten off to a good start this season.

I’m healthy and powerful. Against Chelsea and Bournemouth, I thought it went swimmingly. It was a good beginning despite the red card. I can’t wait to go back again.

Following the release of recordings of his altercation with Brooks, Van Dijk might get a lengthier suspension. There have been rumors that he might get a longer suspension, which would force him to miss the match against Wolves on September 16.

Since Klopp made Van Dijk captain in the summer when Jordan Henderson departed for Al-Ettifaq, losing Van Dijk for an additional game would be a major setback for the team.

Van Dijk is satisfied with the start that “Liverpool 2.0” have made to the season and with his personal form, despite the fact that the Reds are also working with a brand new midfield after rebuilding their engine room.

Also, “we are in a kind of transition phase with Liverpool,” he remarked. That the manager still includes me in his plans for the new team, Liverpool 2.0, is a lovely touch. In the first weeks of our training, we had several conversations. That was a vote of faith in me.

“I have had several conversations with those close to me over the last few months. The support of my wife and the friends I’ve made at the club have been crucial to my success. The first step is for each football player to constantly evaluate their own performance and ask how they might improve. I knew I was becoming better at season’s end of the previous year.