Virgil van Dijk became Liverpool captain.
“We have appointed Van Dijk as new captain and Trent Alexander-Arnold as vice-captain.”
Liverpool have a lot of people leaving in the summer. First, James Milner, Roberto Firmino, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Navi Keita have expired. In addition, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho moved to Saudi Arabia.
In particular, Henderson was the captain and Milner was the vice-captain, so a change in the captaincy was necessary. And after discussions, it was decided on the Van Dyke and Alexander-Arnold system.
Van Dyke blossomed late. He started his career in the Dutch league and then moved to Celtic in Scotland. After two impressive seasons, Van Dijk completed his dream entry into the English Premier League (EPL) ahead of the 2015-16 season. He played an active part in Southampton by forming a centre-back duo with José Ponte, and received interest from multiple EPL clubs. And Liverpool succeeded in holding Van Dijk in their arms for a transfer fee of 84.65 million euros (approximately 120 billion won). At that time, it was the highest transfer fee ever for a defender.
Van Dijk took flight in a Liverpool shirt. He immediately took the place of the main center back and made appearances in all EPL matches in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons. In the process, he enjoyed numerous honors such as winning the EPL and winning the European Football Association Champions League .
However, unexpected bad things happened. Van Dijk injured his knee in a collision with goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the 7th minute of the first half against Everton in the 5th round of the EPL in the 2020-21 season. It was a serious injury. As a result of the test, he was diagnosed with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and was out for the season. It was in the third stage of ACL rupture, and long-term departure was inevitable.
Returning in the 2021-22 season, Van Dijk proved again that he is a world-class center back. However, in the 2022-23 season, he showed a rather sluggish performance, causing concern from fans. But there’s no denying that he is still an important resource at Liverpool.
Wearing the Liverpool captain’s armband, Van Dijk said: “It’s a very special feeling and I’m grateful. It’s a very proud day for my family. It’s indescribably special. I’m really proud of it.”
“I was nervous until Jurgen Klopp spoke to me. And when he told me, I was really grateful. I want to not only repay him, but also to repay the club’s trust and make good memories. I look forward to the next season.” he added.
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