Virgil van Dijk will captain Liverpool this season following the departure of Jordan Henderson
He insisted the Reds improve on the disappointments of 2022/23
Being the captain of Liverpool has great prestige and also has scarcity value.
Virgil van Dijk is only the third player in 20 years to wear the armband, after Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson.
Henderson’s surprise departure to Saudi Arabia over the summer propelled 32-year-old Van Dijk into his new role.
Not that Captain Cool seemed under pressure as he sat down to discuss the new era that had begun at Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea.
“It’s certainly exciting,” is how Van Dijk describes his promotion. “When Jordan left I felt I could be a candidate, but as a young player I hadn’t dreamed of it. Special things happen, that’s the beauty of life, but I never take it for granted.
The role comes with more responsibilities on and off the pitch. I have seen Hendo doing very well and I will tell him about the things that come with being captain of Liverpool FC. I’m not too old to ask questions, but I’ll try to do it my way.”
As for Dutch legend Marco van Basten’s criticisms of last season’s lack of leadership skills, Van Dijk has a good poker face. “I will definitely speak up if necessary. That’s all,” he says flatly. “You shouldn’t force yourself to do something you’re not comfortable with, but I like to speak up for the guys. The message for the season is to give it your all and show a reaction from last year.
Fifth place was below average by Liverpool’s recent standards and they only secured a place in the Europa League thanks to a strong finish which left them unbeaten in 11th.
This summer marked a major reboot. Veteran players Henderson, James Milner, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino left, along with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita.
World champion Alexis Mac Allister has arrived and Hungarian Dominik Szoboszlai must strengthen the midfield. Brighton have accepted a record £111million bid for Moises Caicedo despite the player preferring Chelsea.
Van Dijk, who joined Southampton in 2018 and became the best centre-back in the world, wants to return to the glory days of Liverpool winning the Champions League and Premier League back-to-back.
In 2022 they were aiming for a quadruple and winning both domestic cups before falling behind last season. “We want to fight for the trophies again until the last day,” he said. “We will miss the boys who are gone, we shared so many good things but that’s life.” Others are there now.
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