Virgil van Dijk will wait to see which direction Liverpool take in the post-Jurgen Klopp era before committing his future to the club.
Klopp’s decision to leave Anfield at the end of the season has cast into doubt the future of several of the club’s star players, including Netherlands defender Van Dijk who has 18 months left on his contract.
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Klopp wants Liverpool to focus on job in hand
Asked if he saw himself being a part of Liverpool’s rebuilding job following Klopp’s exit, captain Van Dijk told The Guardian: “That’s a big question. I don’t know.”
Reminded of the fact his contract will expire in the summer of 2025, he added: “That is correct. Listen, I don’t know. The club will have a big job on their hands, that is well known. To replace the manager and replace not only the manager, the staff is leaving, and there are so many things that will change.
“So the club has a big job on its hands and I am very curious which direction that will go in. But when that will be announced we will see our situation, I can’t say now.”
Klopp has stressed he has no desire to dwell on his decision until season’s end, a point Van Dijk agreed with with Liverpool still fighting for trophies on four fronts.
He added: “Obviously it will be the end of Jürgen Klopp’s era. I am very glad that I am still part of it.
“That is why I don’t like to speak about it. I am still part of it. That is my main focus now and we will see at the end of the season. Hopefully we have the success that we all dream of and fight for each and every day.
“By then there will probably be more clarification about what the club wants for the future and then we will see.”
James McConnell ???? Curtis Jones
A goal made in Kirkby for our first of the afternoon ???? #LIVNOR pic.twitter.com/aqF6GBttQ3
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 29, 2024
Liverpool eased into the FA Cup fifth-round yesterday with a 5-2 defeat of Norwich at Anfield and Van Dijk is confident there will be no let-up from the players as they look to give Klopp the perfect send-off.
He said: “We are all human beings and we have emotions – some players feel different about the manager’s announcement than others. That’s absolutely normal because everyone thinks in different ways, but I didn’t notice the professionalism being dropped or the level of standard.
“The training sessions I have seen in the last couple of days were not different than before and I think against Norwich as well, for the boss it was a bit different, but for us it was to make sure we got to the next round with some players coming back from injury and now we focus on Wednesday [when Chelsea visit Anfield in the Premier League].”
