Jurgen Klopp’s right-hand man at Liverpool FC, Pep Lijnders, has showered praise on Virgil van Dijk’s impact on the Merseyside club’s league-title winning journey this season. The Reds’ assistant manager further described the 29-year old Van Dijk’s influence on Klopp’s side as ‘massive.’
It is common knowledge that following his arrival from Southampton at Anfield in January 2018, the Dutch international has transformed Liverpool FC’s fortunes in recent seasons. The Merseyside giants have established their credentials as one of the top clubs in world football over the past two years and Van Dijk had played a major role in that.
The 29-year old center-back has developed a never-back-down attitude with his last-ditch tackles and the ability to win almost every aerial duel. Moreover, his goalscoring capabilities have also been enhanced for the Reds in recent times.
Lijnders was all praise for his fellow Dutch, with the Liverpool FC No 2 hailing Van Dijk’s winning mentality on the pitch. Moreover, the 29-year old’s leadership trait that has so often been noticed this season in the absence of Reds skipper Jordan Henderson, was saluted by Klopp’s assistant.
‘He does not need to talk about leadership, he is showing leadership and his winning mentality in every vain of his body.
The Liverpool FC assistant manager also claimed that Van Dijk had a certain obsession with ensuring a clean sheet for his side in every game possible. The Reds defense managed to secure an impressive tally of 15 clean sheets across their 2019-20 Premier League campaign.
‘Secondly, his presence in the dressing room. He is such a calm figure. He is only dealing with clean sheets. He is just crazy about keeping clean sheets.’
Over the course of his stint at Anfield, Van Dijk has rightly made his name known all across the world as one of the best defenders in the game. He was honored with the 2018-19 PFA Player of the Year as well as the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year last year, pipping Lionel Messi to win the latter.
Also Read – 15 Virgil Van Dijk Life Facts You Should Know
