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Van Dijk: 'I had 3 fatal diseases, the patient usually dies..'

Van Dijk: 'I had 3 fatal diseases, the patient usually dies..'

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has revealed that he was suffering from three fatal diseases back in 2012 and has said that a patient usually dies at this time.

Last night, Van Dijk was one of the three names which were in line to win The Best Player award of 2019. But the UEFA Player of the Year couldn't win the accolade, as Lionel Messi won the award.

In an interview that Van Dijk gave to FourFourTwo, he talked about his health issues from back in 2012.

He said: ​ "In 2012 I suffered from appendicitis, peritonitis and kidney infection. In the vast majority of cases, the patient dies. only the tubes connected to my body, I couldn't do anything. At that moment I thought the worst. I had to do it."

The Dutchman has become one of the best defenders in the world because of his perfomances with the Reds last season and has carried on his form this season.

He helped the Anfield based side win the UEFA Champions League last season and reached the UEFA Nations League final, only to lose to Portugal in the final.