Virgil van Dijk: Liverpool captain says he is ‘fully committed’ to club

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk says he is “fully committed” to the club amid reports he could leave Anfield at the end of the season.

Klopp announced last week he will end his time with the Reds after almost nine years at the end of the season.

But Van Dijk, who joined for £75m in January 2018, said his previous comments were “taken out of context”.

Asked whether he saw himself being part of the next era, Van Dijk, whose current Liverpool contract is set to expire in summer 2025, said: “That’s a big question. I don’t know.”

But he has sought to clarify those comments and on Tuesday told the Men in Blazers podcast: “To be 100% clear, I am fully committed to the club. I love the club. I love the fans. It is fully taken out of context.”

Liverpool assistant managers Pepijn Lijnders and Peter Krawietz will also leave the Merseyside club along with Klopp, while the contracts of forward Mohamed Salah and defender Trent Alexander-Arnold are also scheduled to run out in 2025.

Liverpool continue to fight on four fronts as they aim to mark the end of Klopp’s tenure with silverware.

The Reds are top of the Premier League, through to the Carabao Cup final and into the last 16 in both the Europa League and FA Cup.

“It’s not about me, it’s not about I. It is about us and nothing has changed,” Van Dijk added.

“My full focus is on making sure this year can be very special. Obviously [it was a] big announcement over the last couple of days. It has been a shock to each one of us connected to the club.

“We want to achieve things that we dreamed of at the start of the season. Don’t get it twisted, I’m fully committed to the club – I love each and every second that I am the captain.” – bbc.com