Arne Slot names Liverpool star who is trying to be made 'more professional' around AXA Training Centre

Arne Slot has hailed the leadership qualities that Virgil van Dijk brings to Liverpool on and off the pitch.

The Red finally sealed the future of their captain earlier this week after he signed a new two-year contract until 2027. Since arriving for £75 million from Southampton in January 2018, van Dijk’s impact has been profound. He has been the bedrock of Liverpool’s team to win seven major trophies and is on the cusp on claiming a second Premier League title this season.

The Netherlands international’s quality during matches is obvious for everyone to see. But it’s the impact behind-the-scenes and leadership van Dijk has shows that Slot has been highly impressed by - even trying to get compatriot Ryan Gravenberch to become ‘even more professional’. Gravenberch, along with van Dijk has started every league game this season.

What’s been said

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s trip to Leicester City, where Liverpool could win the title if they win and Arsenal lose at Ipswich Town, head coach Slot said on van Dijk’s qualities: "It's almost difficult to describe. Because you know how important he is when you see him play, so that's what we all see.

"Everybody has given him compliments over the years so many times about how good he is as a defender. I mostly watch football and look at ball possession – he's so, so good at bringing the ball out from the back. His diagonal passes towards Mo [Salah] are known by everyone but the amount of times he plays balls through the lines, the timing when he passes it.

"And then the leader he is in and around this AXA Training Centre, that is something I haven't worked with, a player like him in terms of leadership. o, the energy he brings to the team in every single training session and how professional he is for himself but also tries to influence his teammates, especially the younger ones.

"I think Ryan [Gravenberch] is a great example for that – he [van Dijk] is constantly on him trying to make him even more of a professional than Ryan already is, but Ryan wasn't used to playing so many games.

"He's having a big influence at this club but the main influence he has, of course, is on the weekend, and that is also the thing he has to focus on mostly. But the good thing with him is he also contributes here at the AXA and hopefully he can do that in the upcoming two seasons as well."

Liverpool’s ambitions

Van Dijk’s new deal came a week after Mo Salah put pen to paper on fresh terms. Salah has fired 32 goals in all competitions this season. Slot believes signing up the key duo underlines Liverpool’s ambitions. He added: "It tells you that we want to keep our best players, the players that have played a great season for so many years in a row now,”

"That we are able to keep them when they are free agents tells you probably the ambitions we have for the upcoming years. I'm really happy that both of them extended. We've spoken about Mo last week and Virgil has been so important for us defensively, offensively, in and around the dressing room. A great personality and a great football player."