Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk has discussed his immense pride at being dubbed an “adopted Scouser”. The defensive icon has ended speculation regarding his future by penning a fresh two-year extension with Liverpool.
The renewed contract secures Van Dijk’s services for the Reds until 2027, nudging him towards a 10-year stint with the club, after he moved from Southampton in January 2018.
Speaking after signing his new deal, he said that being branded one of the city’s own via the two-word message meant there was no other place he was going to play his football – with the comment all but summarising his storied love affair with the club.
“Someone called me the other day an ‘adopted Scouser’,” Van Dijk said. “I’m really proud to hear these things, it gives me a great feeling.”
Van Dijk follows team-mate Mohamed Salah, who also committed his future to the club last week, with both players previously nearing the end of their existing contracts. With the Anfield faithful surely ecstatic about their captain’s renewed deal, attention now turns to their pursuit of silverware.
Under Arne Slot, Liverpool are a formidable 13 points ahead of Arsenal, and they need just six points from their final six matches to secure the Premier League crown, which would be Van Dijk’s chance to hoist the trophy come May.
“I’m very happy, very proud,” Van Dijk said about his new contract. “It was always Liverpool. That was the case. It was always in my head, it was always the plan and it was always Liverpool.
“There wasn’t any doubt in my head that this is the place to be for me and my family. I love the city, I love the club, I love the fans. I love my teammates. I love everything that embodies Liverpool, and on to many more.”
The Dutch defender, who took over as skipper under Jurgen Klopp in 2023, has had a stellar run with Liverpool, clinching the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League title in 2020 among other achievements.
Van Dijk also spoke highly of the influence of Slot, who is on the brink of securing the league title in his first season at Anfield. “I knew the manager from playing against him a couple of times but didn’t really have a personal relationship with him,” he said. “I think he has an amazing season so far, in terms of also knowing he didn’t have time to really have a proper pre-season.
“What really stands out for me is the way he handles good and difficult moments as well, because throughout the season there are difficult moments.
“And the way he conducts himself, not only him but the staff as well, has really been a good thing to see and also gave me a lot of confidence towards what the next two years could look like.”
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