Virgil Van Dijk’s impact and future decisions at Liverpool

National World - LocalTV

A look at their world class centre half…

Transcript

00:00So, Will, looking at Liverpool and Virgil van Dijk now,

00:05obviously just generically in terms of Liverpool's contract situation,

00:08we've mentioned the big three throughout the season.

00:11Obviously, it's looking likely that Trent is going to be linked

00:14and possibly going to Real Madrid, as we mentioned.

00:17Obviously, not fully on the dotted line yet,

00:19but that's the sort of heavy speculation surrounding Trent.

00:23That leaves Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk now,

00:26starting with van Dijk.

00:28We've mentioned Salah a fair few times due to his incredible individual season.

00:33Van Dijk, obviously an ageing player in the side,

00:35but so much experience, so much quality at the highest level.

00:40How much of an importance is he to Liverpool's title charge this year

00:43and their future plans as well?

00:45Where does he sort of sit in terms of their priorities

00:48with keeping him in the side, keeping him around this group

00:51and being available for Arne Schlott to take him into the second season?

00:58Under his management.

01:00He's been the bedrock, to be honest with you, as this title charge.

01:03He's been as good as I've ever seen him, to be quite frank.

01:07He's been absolutely immense.

01:11Some of the performances he's delivered have been right up there.

01:14You know, you'd think he was still very much in his prime,

01:18and I guess he still is in his prime.

01:19And I suppose that's why contract talks have probably been protracted,

01:25because, as you said, he is ageing.

01:28I think he termed his 34 in July.

01:31Liverpool don't often, in the past, they haven't given contracts out,

01:34long-term contracts out of players.

01:36The last one was maybe Jordan Henderson,

01:39and that ended up coming to a head, an early conclusion.

01:42And James Milner was one who stays on,

01:44but that was a year long for the last few years.

01:49And I think Liverpool have been looking at it and thinking,

01:53probably they've been trying to get it on their best terms, of course.

01:57They have, and fans like he has wanted the best terms for him.

02:00Maybe it's been about the length of contract.

02:03Maybe they've been reluctant to give him what he wants, et cetera.

02:06But, as you say, he says after the Fulham game

02:08that there has been progress.

02:10A lot of people have expected Virgil Van Dijk to stay.

02:12He's the captain.

02:14Where else does he go?

02:16Would he want to move his family?

02:17You know, he's been here for a while.

02:19Probably could go and play for any team in Europe,

02:21but would he want to at this stage of his career?

02:25Is there any guarantee he would be out-and-out first choice?

02:28Just because, look, he's a fantastic player,

02:31but all those other clubs that he could join

02:32have got fantastic centre-backs as well.

02:34And I think it's a conclusion a lot of people have expected.

02:39I think that he will have signed the Dodgers line.

02:42I mean, Slot has praised him many a times this season

02:45about his impact.

02:46He knows it immediately on the training grounds.

02:51And he's come out and said,

02:52I want Virgil to stay already.

02:54So that's telling.

02:56So I think, in the end,

02:59there will be a positive conclusion,

03:02whether that's two years plus an option,

03:04three years plus an option, I don't know.

03:06But I think it's good news

03:09because Ibrahim O'Connor is a really good defender,

03:13but is he a natural leader?

03:16I'm not quite sure about that.

03:18Joe Gomez has had his fitness issues again,

03:22and Gelo Kwanzaa is still only 22

03:24and very much learning his craft.

03:26So Liverpool, I think what this will maybe teach them

03:30is they do need to find a successor.

03:33They do need someone to come in,

03:35whether that is a Kwanzaa

03:36or whether they look for a left footer

03:38who can play on that left side,

03:40who can be developed slowly,

03:43can be nurtured into it,

03:44because Liverpool have got to start planning

03:46for life about Veja Van Dijk

03:47in a couple of years' time for years to stay.

03:51Yeah, and obviously you mentioned

03:52his sort of massive impact.

03:54He's approaching, you know,

03:56his ninth season would be next season with the club.

03:59I mean, that's quite an incredible stay.

04:02You know, he's clearly spent his prime years here.

04:04He's clearly helped Liverpool go from,

04:06you know, where they were,

04:09the Jurgen Klopp era,

04:10and then took them to the very, very top

04:12and certainly helped that.

04:13Do you feel he ranks among

04:15one of the best Liverpool players of all time?

04:18Or how do you sort of summarise that

04:19in terms of players

04:21that have really got a connection with the fans

04:23and helped improve the side tenfold

04:25like Van Dijk has?

04:27Yeah, well, he took Liverpool to the next level.

04:31When he arrived in that January,

04:34Liverpool were flying on the front end of the pitch.

04:37They had Salah, Mane, Firmino and Coutinho.

04:40They saw Coutinho in that window.

04:43But there were always question marks

04:44over the defence.

04:45There wasn't a real leader.

04:46You're looking at the likes of

04:48Dejan Lovren, Joe Mata for your pair.

04:51But you needed someone else in there to come in.

04:55And Van Dijk, as soon as he came in,

04:57he did that, you know,

04:58to not too many players,

05:00certainly under Jurgen Klopp,

05:01who instantly handled the debut.

05:03But that's what happened.

05:04And of course, he scores in the Merseyside derby.

05:07He took Liverpool to another level.

05:08He got to the Champions League final that year.

05:11Of course, then the arrival of Alisson took them

05:13to sort of the final piece along with Fabinho.

05:17But I think in terms of his influence on the team,

05:21he'll be right up there in Liverpool history.

05:24Salah, of course, is there.

05:25You know, in terms of signings,

05:26like Gerrard will, you know,

05:28obviously come through the academy.

05:29But Kenny Zaglis made a massive impact

05:32after replacing Kevin Keegan and, you know,

05:36Ian Rush for Sam Chester and made a massive impact as well.

05:39But in the modern times,

05:44he's been a player that has really,

05:46really been a leader.

05:49And he could probably play in any Liverpool team,

05:53any Premier League team in history.

05:55He's been that good for the most part.

05:58He obviously had that season where he was coming back from injury.

06:02Maybe he was questioned a little bit,

06:04but he proved all of his doubts was wrong.

06:06He's been that good for the most part.

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