Virgil van Dijk, the newly appointed captain of Liverpool, has instigated a significant alteration to the team’s pre-match rituals.
Taking over from Jordan Henderson after his move to Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League, Van Dijk has introduced a team huddle prior to games, aiming to leave his mark on the squad.
This practice, borrowed from his time at Celtic, serves to establish the right atmosphere before kick-off, setting the tone for the match.
Van Dijk explained, “It was something that we did when I was a Celtic player, And I always liked it because I thought it set the tone for the game and it also gave the crowd a signal that we were ready to go.”
“It can also help the atmosphere with it being so close to the match starting, so if our fans want to join in by building up the noise and adding to the sense of anticipation I certainly won’t complain, even if it makes it difficult for me to make myself heard.”
With James Milner, the vice-captain, departing the club to join Brighton during the summer, Trent Alexander-Arnold has been designated as Van Dijk’s deputy captain. Andrew Robertson, Alisson Becker, and Mo Salah have also been designated as integral members of Liverpool’s new leadership team.
Van Dijk remarked, “This club has had some incredible captains over the years, leaders who would bring the best out of themselves and their team time and time again,”
“So to be on the list with people like that is definitely not the kind of thing that I would have expected when I started playing.”
“But the most important thing for me is that I am part of a team of leaders, individually, who find their own way to take responsibility no matter who is wearing the armband.”
Furthermore, Van Dijk believes that there is a ‘different vibe’ surrounding the club this season, following a disappointing previous campaign that resulted in a fifth-place finish and no Champions League qualification.
He stated, “I think everyone last year, especially towards the end of the season, was drained if I’m absolutely honest.”
“It was such a disappointing season. We couldn’t find that consistency.”
“We played one good game but we won big against Manchester United and then we lost against Bournemouth, and that was so frustrating. We definitely sense a different vibe and a different energy in the club this season.”
Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk
This season he played in total once for 90 minutes for Europa League.
Virgil van Dijk didn’t score any goal for Liverpool. He procured no assists. He received no yellow cards and no red cards.
His team is currently 4th in Europa League. In the last match Liverpool won 2-0 against Everton.
Liverpool performance and stats
Liverpool is currently 1st in the Europa League with 6 points.
It has a positive goal difference after scoring 5 goals and conceding 1.
Liverpool will play the next match in Europa League against Toulouse on Thursday 26th of October in Liverpool. The prediction is Liverpool winning the match.