de Vrij: “Inter fans, we’ll be back to enjoying things, but for now we must stay at home”

MILAN – Following on from Skriniar and D’Ambrosio, it was another Nerazzurri defender’s turn to meet the Inter fans online: Stefan de Vrij tuned in from home to chat and answer the many questions which had been submitted to him via our social media profiles.

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“The situation we’re living in isn’t easy, but we have to adapt and do the best we can while we wait to defeat this virus. I train twice daily and when I’m not doing that, I watch TV and read, a lot: I’ve already read four books in this time.”

While the fans miss football, de Vrij misses them: “Inter fans are incredible, they always pack out the stadium and they get right behind us on and off the pitch. That’s really important for us players and I try as much as possible to repay their faith: on the pitch and with small gestures off it.”

De Vrij also spoke about matters on the pitch, giving a little overview: “I’m thriving under Conte and I’m learning a lot. I’m happy and we all try to follow his instructions wholeheartedly. Skriniar? He’s a top defender, a great guy and a real pleasure to play with.”

Just over a month ago de Vrij made his mark on the #DerbyMilano: “My two goals against AC Milan have both been great, and obviously the last one was important in our historic comeback.”

“I’ve always thought of football as my favourite sport, even though I tried my hand at tennis. It was my dad, who was also a footballer, who gave this passion to me. As a kid I used to support Feyenoord, a team I then went on to play for. To begin with I was a forward, then I gradually dropped back into midfield, then when I was 16 I played full-back and finally I moved to a more central position in my first-team debut. I had many idols during my childhood, but I always had one goal that inspired me: to become a better version of myself.”

“I’ve had to mark a lot of top players in my career, like Messi and Ronaldo. Recently I also had to face Mbappé: he’s very fast and difficult to keep up with. Van Dijk? He’s an extraordinary teammate, and I can learn a lot from him.”

“One of the best games I’ve played in is definitely the 2014 World Cup game when we beat Spain 5-1 and I scored, an unforgettable match.”

He concluded with an important message: “When we return to training, we’ll resume our work and aim to keep improving. Stepping out onto the pitch is a great feeling, but for now we’ll stay focused on other things: most importantly staying at home.”