Feature'He is special' – 10 great quotes on Virgil van Dijk from Liverpool teammates
Virgil van Dijk is officially staying at Liverpool – read 10 of the best quotes from his teammates about the captain now.
It was announced on Thursday morning that Van Dijk has signed a new contract with the club, meaning his already-legendary Anfield career will extend beyond the end of this season.
See a selection of past tributes paid to the No.4 by fellow members of the Reds’ current squad below…
Alisson Becker
“He gives a lot of confidence for the team and the players. When you have Virgil van Dijk – the giant – on the pitch, maybe it scares the opposition. For me, he is special… Virgil has something special, he is the big man.”
Conor Bradley
“Just a Rolls-Royce. I think that’s the best way to describe him, he’s unbelievable. I don’t understand how he makes it look so easy, that’s the mad bit for me.
“He's always one of the best players in training every day and that's something I aspire to be. Virgil is quite a role model.”
Harvey Elliott
“He’s unbelievable. The best centre-back in the world.”
Cody Gakpo
“He’s our captain, he’s a great personality, he’s a great player. He can help me a lot with some stuff.”
Joe Gomez
“Virg has done it [the captaincy] in his own way, and it’s made him even more appreciated amongst us as a team. His ability speaks for itself; he’s the best at what he does, he’s the best in the world and probably the best the club has ever had in that position.
“But the way he has handled it off the pitch as a leader, and on the pitch, in moments when we’ve had tough defeats and it’s not even hesitation, he’ll step up and go and speak and represent us all and how we feel.
“It’s been a joy to watch, he has taken it more than in his stride. I’m so happy for him and I’m sure he’s incredibly proud to be captain of his country and his club. The way he does it speaks for itself.”
Ryan Gravenberch
“When I came here, Virg is the captain and when you need something you just can ask him and he organises it for you.
“Of course, Virgil and Cody [Gakpo], the other Dutch lads, are really important too. We spend a lot of time together and let’s say they’re not afraid to provide honest feedback if I need to do better!”
Ibrahima Konate
“With Virgil, we know how good he is, how special he is, and what he's been doing for years. He’s so good. I have taken a few things from him. He gave me a lot of advice when I came to the club.”
Jarell Quansah
“He’s lived my career. He’s been a young centre-half, made mistakes, and then reached the pinnacle, the very top of football, and been one of the best centre-halves that we’ve seen.
“He can resonate a lot with me and anything he can do to help me he’s trying to do and I’m grateful for that. On a day-to-day basis, he is always talking to me. It’s all valuable information that I take from him.”
Andy Robertson
“I’m getting bored speaking about how good he is! He’s been brilliant [since joining Liverpool]. I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside him for the majority of time on the left-hand side of the defence. He’s just a great lad to have next to you – I’m not sure he will say the same about me! I think we have had a good relationship, we work together.”
Mohamed Salah
“I’m glad that we managed to do that [his own contract renewal] early, before the end of the season and hopefully Virgil also will be next. He can do whatever he wants but I would love to see him here again next year.”
