InterviewVirgil van Dijk on Premier League longevity, leadership and Liverpool responsibility
Virgil van Dijk has reflected on a decade in the Premier League that has brought him to the role of captain of the champions.
The Netherlands international arrived in England’s top flight when he signed for Southampton from Celtic on the first day of September in 2015.
After two-and-a-half years with Saints, the defender moved to the Reds in January 2018 and began a spell that has yielded huge personal and collective success.
With Van Dijk colossal at centre-back, Liverpool have lifted two league championships and the Champions League amid a raft of major honours since he joined.
The No.4, who was named in the 2024-25 PFA Premier League Team of the Year on Tuesday night, is also now beginning his third campaign as the Reds’ skipper.
In a new interview with Sky Sports, Van Dijk gave insight on his journey in the Premier League so far and his approach to leadership at Anfield. Read the chat below…
On reaching a decade in the Premier League…
It’s nice. 10 years, longevity. It’s nice. Proud. It’s the league, in my opinion, everybody wants to be part of. And to be playing in it for 10 years is incredible.
On his hopes and expectations when he first came to the Premier League…
My hopes were to perform in the best way possible. I think the first season I came to Southampton, which was an amazing time by the way, we had a record-breaking season under Ronald Koeman, who gave me the opportunity to come and play in the Premier League, which I will always be grateful for. We had an amazing season.
I remember my debut of course, against West Brom away, coming out and being in the line-up, hearing the Premier League tune, keeping a clean sheet. These things I will never forget, it was such a special moment. I felt like a little kid after the game, because you see the games and now you’re playing in the Premier League yourself. You work so hard to be there. Doing that at Southampton was incredible. I had two amazing years, even longer, and I really enjoyed it.
On now being Liverpool captain, a multiple Premier League winner and Champions League winner, and if they were ambitions…
I think they were too far to think about. For me, this has helped to not go too far with your dreams. But I can’t lie – when I joined Liverpool, I would have loved to be achieving what I’ve achieved up until now; being the captain, being the first Dutch captain lifting the Premier League, winning the Champions League, the cup competitions that we have won. It’s about, for me, that it helped me getting to where I am today. Having people speak about me in a positive way is obviously always a good thing. That’s what we have to focus on.
On who ‘passed on the values and made it clear what it is to be a Liverpool player’…
Jordan Henderson and James Milner. I became third captain after six months at the club, which was such a massive honour already. But then to pick up so many things… and I’m an observer, I observe everything, I listen, I collect a lot of information and never forget things. But in this case, in terms of the values and what is asked to be a Liverpool player, what is asked to be representing the club, not only in the UK but around the world, that’s very important. That’s what we try to keep and I think the guys have been doing that over the years pretty well. Keep going.
On being the person who instils those values now…
This feels very natural. For me, even maybe the year after I joined the club I already felt like doing that. At the end of the day, it’s all about how you operate yourself, because people are looking at you and players that will maybe eventually join the club are looking at how we operate anyway. It felt very normal. But I know what you mean in terms of now being the Jordan Henderson at the time. It’s something that is also a special thing that not many players have to think about doing, and it feels natural for me to do so. Obviously as the captain of Liverpool you’re dealing with a lot more things – a lot more things than people see. It’s something I really am proud of doing and being part of.
On the bond within the Reds squad…
It’s like a brotherhood, isn’t it? For me personally, I feel that responsibility for everyone – if I feel like anyone is down or anyone is getting criticised more or whatever, I feel responsible for that, it hurts me as well. We do everything in our power to perform, no-one wants to not perform but we’re all human beings and that’s the fact that I’m also looking at. Also then it comes back to the fact that I’m not doing it on my own, I have a little team around me with Robbo [Andy Robertson], obviously Mo [Salah], Ali [Alisson Becker], Joe [Gomez]. They’re the other senior guys that have been at the club for many years as well. They also have to do their job and they’re doing that as well. That’s the good thing.
On if this summer is the ‘biggest change he has known’ at Liverpool…
Last year was quite a big change, I think people underestimate it now a little bit because we won the league. But changing a manager that has been so important over all those years, not only for the team but for the club, for the city as well, having the success that we had, having the impact that he had on the league, then to replace him was a big change. But now we’re not talking about it, that’s how obviously the world works a little bit, because we are the Premier League winners from last year. It’s all about the signings performing and they all know that. They all know when they join a club like Liverpool – the reigning champions – that they have to perform. And it’s down to them, but also us as a team, in order to create an environment that they can do so in.