Feyenoord fans are likely still recovering from the hangover that was a result of a win over Manchester United in the first round of Europa League group fixtures last night, but one man who definitely took it easy on the celebrations was former Liverpool fan favourite Dirk Kuyt.
Not least because he's been there and done it all before, but the Dutchman is in fantastic shape for a 36 year old.
Always known for his outstanding fitness and work-rate, Kuyt has never let his standards drop in that regard and that is one of the main reasons why he has remained an important player for his boyhood club as they currently look a good bet for the Eredivisie title.
So impressive are Kuyt's fitness levels that 89-million-pound-man Paul Pogba complimented his opponent during last night's match, as was revealed to metronieuws.nl:
Paul Pogba told me on the field it is amazing I am still running and flying. It is beautiful that he has respect for me, especially because he is one of the best players in Europe.
While it's nice to see mutual respect between players with such an age gap between them (in football terms at least), there are sure to be a number of people who feel that sort of thing belongs in the dressing room after the match, and not while still competing.
We're surprised that Pogba wanted anything to do with Kuyt after the 36-year-old pretty much killed the 'dab' celebration that the Frenchman is so fond of recently:
Dirk Kuyt has just ended the dab: pic.twitter.com/tyC5awnu8t
(via @louroll89)— Paddy Power (@paddypower) September 11, 2016
Speaking after the game, Kuyt also revealed the inspirational words he gave to his teammates before kickoff. Kuyt told his teammates that if Manchester United dropped their standards they could be gotten at, something which was perhaps expected given Mourinho's comments on the competition last week:
That's why this victory is a great feeling. I told the guys that we would have a good chance if they are four or five percent less than normal. We have fought in the game and patiently waited for our chances. We killed ourselves out there.
As 'You'll Never Walk Alone' rang out around De Kuip at the final whistle, it was clear that the Feyenoord fans were immensely proud of the shift their team put in.
After getting the assist for the winning goal, Kuyt was again heralded as a hero while Pogba, once again, became the butt of a thousand jokes on social media, but it's good to know that he isn't reluctant to praise a veteran who can still produce the goods.
