Virgil van Dijk admits he regrets claiming he had proved his critics wrong.
Van Dijk lifted his first trophy since becoming Liverpool captain after scoring the winning goal in extra time of the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea.
During an interview in the immediate aftermath, the Netherlands international, who was also named Man of the Match, remarked ‘They said I was finished’.
But Van Dijk concedes that the response, which was aimed at detractors of his displays for the Reds in the previous campaign, was out of character.
“I shouldn’t have said that. Because I don’t want to have the wrong intentions,” admitted the defender.
“That was part of the emotion coming out of me because there were so many emotions going through my whole body that day.
“Last season was disappointing [but] not disappointing in a way that I was bad,
“I didn’t feel like that at all, I was just below my standards and the consistency wasn’t there that I have had and set for myself in each and every game.
“I fully understand the noise that came with it but I am a human being and not immune to any of that, so there was a bit of emotion that day but I shouldn’t have said that [to camera].
“Maybe in one way it was good to say because it gets it out of me, but I don’t like noise around me . I like to play the game. Positive noise is fine.
“But I just want to be my best version on the pitch and be the best I can because things have been going very well this season personally and big credit to all the team given the obstacles we had overcome.
“I know I play a big part in that, I know I had to step up and I did and I think after the little change we did last March (with Trent Alexander-Arnold as a hybrid midfielder), I am feeling a lot better.
“The break helped massively in the summer and that brought me into good shape.”
Van Dijk’s instalment as captain has also coincided with a return to form as he attempts to guide Liverpool to an unprecedented quadruple this season.
And the centre-back believes that confidence has been key to his resurgence.
He added: “I feel very comfortable this season in every aspect of the game.
“Obviously confidence is a big driver when you play the game, but in general I think I have made big steps in possession.
“The manager said the other day that it is not just as simple as wearing the armband and I think there are a lot of things that just clicked again.
“I feel really, really good and the responsibility i have has helped that, but I feel that I have made steps again,.
“I made steps in possession, steps in the way i defend and i really enjoy that, I want to continue enjoying it and see what it leads to.”