Virgil Van Dijk Says Retaining League Title Is ‘bare Minimum’ For Liverpool

1 month ago

Virgil van Dijk has reinforced Arne Slot’s desire for much silverware for nan caller play by insisting that retaining nan Premier League title is “the bare minimum” for a nine for illustration Liverpool. The champions will get a last tune-up for their defence erstwhile Sunday’s Community Shield pits them against Crystal Palace and nan club’s skipper was successful a bullish move successful an question and reply connected nan club’s website.

Slot has been engaged strengthening a squad that won nan convention by 10 points and Van Dijk says that aft a spree of almost £300m connected caller players, location will beryllium nary deficiency of strength erstwhile nan play originates successful earnest against Bournemouth connected Friday.

“You’re going into nan play pinch goals that you want to compete for each trophy that you participate in. I deliberation that’s nan bare minimum for a nine for illustration Liverpool,” said Van Dijk. “It’s going to beryllium very reliable but we’ve been done very reliable times anyhow and I’m really looking guardant to it. I’m looking guardant to each spot of it.

“We’re each successful this together and that’s really it should be. Us arsenic a group pinch players, unit but together pinch our fans, we person to spell together into this and support each different and beryllium location for each different successful nan bully and lesser-good days.”

Van Dijk said of his desire to time off a lasting belief astatine Anfield. “Any occurrence pinch Liverpool, that emotion is incredible. That’s what you play shot for. You want to beryllium leaving a bequest behind, you want to beryllium remembered, you want to animate nan adjacent procreation successful everything you do.

“We are astatine a nine wherever legends will beryllium remembered and honoured and ever beryllium welcomed back. It’s an astonishing emotion and an astonishing emotion that we were portion of that play of time, but we still are portion of nan nine and want to beryllium successful.”

Van Dijk is – alongside teammates Salah, Alexis Mac Allister and Florian Wirtz – included connected nan 2025 Ballon d’Or shortlist. Salah, past season’s Premier League Player of nan Season and FWA Footballer of nan Year, said: “Being a fable astatine a club, particularly for illustration Liverpool, is specified a awesome thing. It shows you that you worked very difficult and achieved things that are difficult for group to achieve. I’m grateful for thing for illustration that.”

“It is bully if you tin commencement nan play pinch nan chance of winning something,” Slot said. “Normally you person to play galore games earlier you tin triumph something.

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“If it’s nan League Cup, FA Cup, fto unsocial [the] Premier League aliases Champions League, usually you triumph thing successful nan extremity of nan season. Now we person a chance to triumph thing successful nan opening of nan season.”