Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk spoke to the media at Anfield ahead of the Reds’ Champions League opener against Spanish giants Atletico Madrid. While speaking to the press as uploaded on Liverpool’s official website, the Dutch defender covered a wide range of topics, from new arrivals to Liverpool’s readiness for the season and the challenge of facing Diego Simeone’s side.
Van Dijk, who helped Liverpool keep a clean sheet in their recent 1-nil victory against Burnley, began by celebrating Liverpool’s U13s, who won the inaugural Virgil’s Legacy Trophy and will attend Wednesday’s game at Anfield.
He then spoke positively about new striker Alexander Isak, praising his quality, attitude, and early impact in training, adding that Liverpool expects him to contribute goals, assists, and link-up play throughout the campaign, Echoing manager Arne Slot’s sentiment about the player, in fact, the gaffer revealed that the Swedish striker will play against Atletico tomorrow. Also, when asked about Liverpool’s prospects across competitions, Van Dijk stressed the importance of staying fit and consistent.
He stated:
Obviously he’s a clinical finisher. I think if you look at his finishing skills: heading, left, right, top corners – he’s the complete striker at the moment, and the same you can say about Hugo [Ekitike]. I think they are obviously maybe a little bit different but not by much, they both have so much quality. They are comfortable on the ball so they can link up play, they have pace and that’s basically what’s being asked nowadays from the modern-day striker. Both are a handful and it’s obviously good that both are on my side now! Hopefully they can show that in the next games and the whole year for the opponents.
Very good. Very eager, obviously the quality has been shown already from the first session – I was still on international [duty but] from what I’ve heard and seen. So yeah, only positive and off the pitch as well we have conversations. I spoke to him during the international break when everything was sorted and for him obviously it’s about about getting as fit as possible as quickly as possible, getting to understand each one of us as quickly as possible – how we train, how we press, set-pieces. It’s been a good week for him. Let’s see tomorrow.
Well, it’s not really an addition, it’s a replacement because obviously we’ve got players with a lot of quality who have left us, so we obviously had to replace these players that were so important for us and that we had successes with. Obviously it comes with a price tag and the price tag we have no control of. So, I totally understand from the outside world there will always be talks about that and that creates sort of pressure, but it’s down to him and obviously with us that we don’t speak about those type of things.
We want to perform, we want to show that we have the quality to play on the highest level, to play for Liverpool and to play Champions League football. Hopefully for him, score a lot of goals and that’s it. Just work hard, enjoy being the No.9 for Liverpool and be important for the group with your goals, assists, link-up play, help others – and that’s the only thing you have influence on.
He also spoke on the imminent clash against Atletico Madrid; Van Dijk recalled the painful elimination the last time the two clubs met. He described Simeone’s men as relentless, disciplined and hard to beat. He also highlighted the threat of Atletico’s strike force, though admitted Julian Alvarez’s absence was a boost for Liverpool.
Unfortunately, the last time we did it here we lost. It was a painful one at the time as well, obviously we got knocked out. But it’s a team that works so hard, it’s a world-class manager, it says a lot that he has been at that club for such a long time and [I have] a lot of respect for that. They have world-class players, a world-class goalie, I can go on and on and they are just a very difficult team to beat and they will never give up – that’s the mentality they have.
They maybe didn’t have the best start [to the season] that they would love to in terms of in the league but I know that this is the start of their campaign as well and they would love to impress as quickly as possible as well. So, we have to be ready. We had a good session today and now it’s time to prepare in your own way at home and be ready for tomorrow.
Well, Alvarez is a fantastic player first and foremost so that will be obviously a miss, but I still think that Atletico Madrid is a very dangerous team with great players, with a fantastic manager, so we have to be at our best tomorrow. And it’s not about me being relaxed, I’m always ready for anything and for tomorrow as well. I’ll be relaxed tonight when I’m doing my normal stuff in order to be ready for tomorrow, but tomorrow when I wake up and after pre-match I’ll be more than ready to rock and roll.
The Dutchman also spoke about his teammates Milos Kerkez and Dominik Szoboszlai, praising their energy and adaptability. He also admitted his new contract was motivated by the ambition to win more trophies, including the Champions League. He also acknowledged that it takes time for the new-look squad to gel. but expressed confidence in Liverpool’s trajectory.
Hopefully as quickly as possible and I’m definitely delighted with all the players, the quality that we have brought in. But it takes time, it’s absolutely normal. They [the new signings] are in a good place, I think to be here with us as a team is a great place to be. The club is in a great place. It gives them the opportunity to express themselves as quickly as possible and that’s a good thing. Obviously when I joined the club as well you want to feel welcome as quickly as possible so you can express yourself in the best way possible, on the pitch especially because that’s what counts, of course, but off the pitch as well and I think that’s definitely been happening.
A lot of energy, a lot of quality. Milos is obviously a fantastic, aggressive, full-of-energy player who is obviously learning also how we play and the intensity of playing for Liverpool and also dealing with it on and off the pitch. It’s not an easy thing to deal with but he is going to be absolutely fine.
In terms of Dom, I think he had a great start to the season so far, obviously playing in a position that’s not maybe his favourite one but he did it with an amazing and on a world-class level in my opinion, that [means] it’s a great option to have for the rest of the season. So yeah, I’m very delighted for both of them – they are learning and they’re getting each better each and every day and I think that’s just great to see.
Obviously when I signed my deal I would hope to win everything that I’m going to participate in, but it doesn’t work like that unfortunately because you face so many great teams. But going into the start of this campaign I’m confident. I’m confident that we can show Europe that we are a fantastic team but you have to work for it. It’s all about the work that you put in – obviously on the pitch but off the pitch as well in order to be at your best. Tomorrow is a great start. We have high hopes. But tomorrow it can show again how difficult it is to be up there and we just have to take it game by game like we always do in the league. We don’t get ahead of ourselves, that’s the main thing.
Liverpool face Atletico at Anfield on Wednesday at 8pm BST in what promises to be a fiery opening to their European campaign.
