Programme notesWhy the Carabao Cup is special to Virgil van Dijk

The captain has twice lifted the trophy with the club, in 2022 and 2024 respectively, and reached another final last season when the Reds were defeated by Newcastle United.

The road to Wembley begins again tonight when Southampton visit Anfield for a third-round tie that kicks off at 8pm BST.

In his notes for the official matchday programme, Van Dijk writes: “The Carabao Cup will always have a special place in my heart, and I’m sure you guys feel the same way given the success we have had in this competition down the years.

“On a personal level, I will never forget the feelings we had at Wembley when we beat Chelsea in both 2022 and 2024. Those days stand among the best I have had.

“Of course, we suffered disappointment when losing to Newcastle United in last season’s final. That wasn’t great, but we are all looking forward to getting going again tonight as we welcome one of my former clubs in Southampton.

“We come into the game with a lot of confidence, having finished off a really good week with a hard-fought victory over Everton in the Merseyside derby on Saturday.

“To record three victories in the space of six days, all against opponents who we knew would be extremely competitive and extremely well-organised from a defensive sense, says a lot about the quality and character of this team.

“We had to dig deep, even suffer at times, but I believe that the hard work that we put in on a daily basis can really be seen in our performances so far this season.”

The skipper continues: “I keep saying this, but we are going to need every member of our squad if we are to enjoy another successful season.

“Already in this campaign, we have seen players coming off the bench to impact games, and I think it says a lot about this group that even those who perhaps haven’t had the minutes they would have liked so far are still able to come in and make a difference.

“We have a lot of games coming up in the next few months, in multiple competitions, and the message to every player is the same: work hard, be humble, keep your focus and make sure you are ready when called upon. It won’t just be 11 or 12 players that bring us success, it will be the whole squad.

“Back to tonight, and I look forward to another great Anfield atmosphere. The noise was fantastic against Everton, and against Atletico Madrid, and we would love more of the same this evening.”

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