Virgil van Dijk, the captain and star defender of Liverpool, has opened up about his uncertainty over his future at the club after the shocking news that Jurgen Klopp will leave at the end of the season.
Van Dijk, who joined Liverpool from Southampton in January 2018 for a record-breaking £75m, has been instrumental in the club’s recent success, winning the Premier League, the Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.
However, with Klopp’s departure looming, Van Dijk admitted that he is “very curious” about the direction the club will take and that he will “see his situation” when the new manager is appointed.
“That’s a big question. I don’t know. The club will have a big job on their hands, that is well known. To replace not only the manager but the whole staff and there are so many things that will change. I’m very curious which direction that will go in but when that will be announced we will see our situation,” he said.
Van Dijk also revealed that he is still focused on the current season and hopes to achieve more success with Klopp before he leaves.
“It will be the end of Jurgen Klopp’s era – I am still part of it that’s why I don’t like to talk about it – and that is my main focus. Hopefully we will have the success we all dream of and by then probably there will be more clarification about what the club wants for the future and then we will see,” he added.
The Dutch international also said that nothing has really changed in the dressing room and that he and his teammates are trying to block out the noise and concentrate on their performances.
“Nothing has really changed. Obviously, things will change at the end of the season and in the new season, but at the moment it doesn’t, and we have to keep doing the same things. It’s easier said than done but I sense the rest of the boys think like that as well and it is the job for me to ensure we keep it that way.
“We are all human beings, and we have emotions. Some players feel different about the manager’s announcement than others. We can speak about the situation, about what will happen next year, every week but it doesn’t change, it’s noise we don’t need and that’s why we focus on getting the job done and that’s why I feel nothing has changed.
“It is still the same but at the end of the season there will be different things happening of course, but that is for the club to sort out,” he concluded.