After returning to club competitions following this month’s international break, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk gave an interview to Camel Live. The Dutch center-back discussed topics including the responsibilities of being captain, the club’s inherited culture, and his outlook on the team’s new squad.
As Liverpool captain, what do you think are the most important responsibilities?
Are they limited to the pitch alone?“I believe the club’s culture is the top priority. It will never change and is the core that Liverpool must always uphold. The club has certain values that everyone must follow—everything starts with these values, such as working hard, fighting for fans around the world, and striving for success.
Since I joined the club, from the first day I stepped here, then-manager Jürgen Klopp and captain Jordan Henderson showed me these values. So I hope to keep passing them on. Even if I eventually leave the club in the future, no matter what happens afterward, this inheritance should continue. This is Liverpool’s tradition, and it’s the key and starting point of the team’s success.”
How do you view your off-pitch role as captain, such as interacting with fans?
“Of course, the gratitude from supporters and fans is always pleasant, but I don’t take it for granted because it’s still very special. They do what they love every day and receive recognition and appreciation from many fans every week. When I meet fans one-on-one, I just want to make them feel comfortable so we can communicate normally. People may have a fixed impression of me in their minds, but the impression I leave when we meet is what matters—it’s both my personal legacy and the most important thing.
I know I’m an important player and have great significance, but I’m also an ordinary father with children, facing the same problems as many people. This means we can resonate on many things.”
What kind of impact do you hope to leave at Liverpool?“Obviously, I hope to leave a positive and good impact both on and off the pitch. I’m achieving this by staying true to myself and not deliberately doing anything out of the ordinary. I’m passionate about doing these things, hoping to inspire young people and the next generation, and be a good role model both on and off the pitch.”
Regarding Liverpool’s title win last season and the team’s defense challenge after spending heavily to sign players like Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak this summer?
“Defending the title after winning it is extremely difficult—we failed to do so after the last title win. I think the club has done a good job in signings, but strictly speaking, these new signings aren’t purely reinforcements. Because the team has clearly lost many extremely important high-level players over the past few years, with good players like Luis Díaz, Darwin Núñez, Ibrahima Konaté, and Harvey Elliott all sold.
So the team had to replace them with high-level players, and the club did an excellent job in finalizing these player deals. Now is the time to train hard and build an extremely good team on the pitch to be competitive in every competition we participate in—that’s the team’s goal.”
What are your views on Arnaud Ékitiké and Alexander Isak?
“Ékitiké has a natural goalscoring instinct. He has proven this both in the Bundesliga and since joining Liverpool. I’ve paid attention to him for a long time and know his potential. You need all strikers to stay in top form throughout the season, and having multiple strikers who can score is always an asset to the team.”
