Virgil van Dijk signs new Liverpool contract until summer 2025
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Updated 13/08/2021 at 13:32 GMT
The Dutchman joins Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho and Alisson in signing new deals at Anfield this summer. Liverpool travel to newly promoted Norwich for their opening game of the season on Saturday. "Since day one when I joined the club, I felt so much appreciation from the fans and from my teammates and the staff, that I could be a very important member of this football club," said Van Dijk
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Virgil van Dijk has signed a new contract with Liverpool that will see him remain at the club until the summer of 2025.
The new deal will see the 30-year-old centre-back extend his three-and-a-half year stay on Merseyside, having joined from Southampton for £75m in 2018.
The Dutchman missed much of last season after sustaining an ACL injury against Everton but returned to first team action against Hertha Berlin in a pre-season fixture last month.
"All the hard work we’ve put in so far continues and I am looking forward to what the future brings together with Liverpool,” Van Dijk told the club’s website.
Since day one when I joined the club, I felt so much appreciation from the fans and from my teammates and the staff, that I could be a very important member of this football club.
"It is something to be very proud of, that I am very proud of, that my wife and my kids are very proud of and obviously my agency.”
The defender has been ever-present at the heart of the Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool defence since his arrival, making 130 appearances and scoring 13 times.
He won the Champions League in 2019 after a 2-0 victory over Spurs in Madrid, before helping to end Liverpool’s 30-year wait for a top-flight triumph with Premier League glory the following season.
Adding the Super Cup and the Club World Cup that same campaign, Van Dijk has also run up a string of individual accolades – highlights including PFA Players’ Player of the Year, Premier League Player of the Season, and finishing runner-up in the 2019 Ballon d’Or behind Lionel Messi.
"I think Liverpool is arguably the biggest club in the world, with the best fans – I think – in the world. I enjoy playing for a family club that really is there for you, no matter what,” Van Dijk added.
"The nice feeling I get at the club as well is that we all do it together, we’re all in the same boat. We all want to have success together and we try to do it in the right way too.”
The 30-year-old required knee surgery following a collision with Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in October, ruling him out of the season as an injury-hit Liverpool battled to a third-placed finish.
After nine months out, Van Dijk made his return to action in a 4-3 pre-season defeat to Hertha Berlin last month, substituted on alongside defensive partner Joe Gomez in the second half.
Gomez also missed much of last season with a knee injury but both defenders will now seek a place in Klopp’s starting eleven for the trip to newly promoted Norwich tomorrow.
Van Dijk said: I feel good. Obviously [they were] friendlies, you get your match fitness up, get into repetitions of doing things again and again.
You visualise so many things about coming back, about being back playing for the team, being important for the team. I feel like I am ready for the weekend, so we’ll see what the manager decides. It is going to be a totally different atmosphere and mindset for me personally as well.
"It is something we fight for, for the points, and hopefully we can get a positive result out of it.”
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