News'You want to leave a legacy' - Salah and Van Dijk striving for more in next LFC chapter

Teammates at Anfield for almost eight years, the pair were once again talismanic at either end of the pitch last season to help inspire Arne Slot’s Reds to Premier League glory.

They each recommitted their future to the club in the space of a week in April, too, and their hunger to add to the huge legacy they have already created individually and together is as sharp as ever with 2025-26 kicking off.

“You’re going into the season with goals that you want to compete for every trophy that you participate in. I think that’s the bare minimum for a club like Liverpool,” says Van Dijk during an extended joint interview.

“Obviously it’s going to be very tough but we’ve been through very tough times anyway and I’m really looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to every bit of it.

“We’re all in this together and that’s how it should be. Us as a group with players, staff but together with our fans, we have to go together into this and support each other and be there for each other in the good and lesser-good days.”

The captain continues: “Any success with Liverpool, obviously that feeling is incredible. Last year we celebrated all together. That feeling when we were crowned champions against Spurs… they call it dopamine. It’s just incredible.

“Personally, I think that’s what you play football for. You want to be leaving a legacy behind, you want to be remembered, you want to inspire the next generation in everything you do.

“We are at a club where legends will be remembered and honoured and always be welcomed back. It’s an amazing feeling and an amazing feeling that we were part of that period of time, but we still are part of the club and want to be successful.

“It’s just amazing, it’s just a special feeling. Personally, I could have never dreamed about this when I was younger. That’s the beauty of football as well and the beauty of life: keep going, consistency, never give up and enjoy the whole ride that’s ahead of you.”

Salah and Van Dijk’s raft of major honours with Liverpool include two Premier League titles, having been members of the squad that ended the club’s 30-year wait for a championship in 2020.

That achievement was tinged by the absence of supporters to celebrate alongside amid the COVID-19 pandemic and behind-closed-doors football.

Fulfilling the dream of winning the league in front of fans earlier this year has had a profound effect on even the most experienced and medalled of players.

“After winning the Premier League last year, there is no dopamine that will come to my body like that time!” says Salah.

“We had a chance also to win the Premier League [without playing] this season, and I’m glad we didn’t. The guys were at the AXA [Training Centre] and were just waiting for [Crystal] Palace to win against Arsenal.

“And I was just praying inside, we were sitting next to each other: ‘Please not, please not.’ Because we wanted to win it at Anfield, you see how special it was for the fans. It was just incredible to win the Premier League at Anfield.”

Thirty-four goals across all competitions for Liverpool in 2024-25 lifted the Egyptian up to third place on the club’s all-time top scorers list with a total of 245.

On a personal level, Salah was crowned Premier League Player of the Season and FWA Footballer of the Year for his outstanding displays last term.

Just days ago, he and Van Dijk were – alongside teammates Alexis Mac Allister and Florian Wirtz – included on the 30-man shortlist for the 2025 Ballon d’Or.

“Sometimes we forget the joy of the game,” adds Salah. “That’s what we played for since we were young. When you just play with joy and just play because you love it, you achieve big things.

“Sometimes the younger generation we see now are struggling with that because of social media and the pressure they have. If you want to achieve big things, I think you just need to enjoy it as we did when we were young.

“Being a legend at a club, especially like Liverpool, is such a great thing. It shows you that you worked very hard and achieved things that are difficult for people to achieve. I’m grateful for something like that.”

Wirtz is one of several new additions to the champions’ squad during the summer, with the likes of Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Giorgi Mamardashvili moving to Merseyside too.

Salah and Van Dijk share supporters’ excitement to see what the recruits can offer and are on hand to help them maximise their talents.

“So far they have been great,” says the skipper.

“Obviously it’s not easy to come to a club like Liverpool and show yourself straight away, but I’m very confident that the guys we have added to the team can play a good part in hopefully success this season.

“There’s a lot more coming than just playing football, being part of Liverpool. That’s what we are also for, we have to be there for the guys and we will be. It has been a good pre-season.”

Watch the full, extended feature with Salah and Van Dijk across official club channels soon.