Speaking to Goal, Liverpool defender Nat Phillips has shared what Virgil van Dijk text him at the end of the 2020/21 season.
Phillips of course stepped into van Dijk’s position after the Dutchman picked up a serious injury back in October, and it’s fair to say he did a remarkable job.
Indeed, Phillips went from being a relative unknown to a key player for the Reds, even ranking third on the club’s Player of the Season voting.
Fans were certainly appreciative of his efforts, and it seems as though van Dijk was equally as impressed by Phillips.
What’s been said?
Phillips shared what van Dijk was like during his time on the sidelines and how the pair interacted.
“Virgil has been amazing,” Phillips said.
“If he was ever at a game at Anfield, he would come and speak to me and Rhys [Williams] at half-time, for example, and give us some advice. He’d say we could step up higher, or tell us to look out for something specific from the striker, which was a massive help.
“He sent me a message at the end of the season saying he thought I’d done really well in difficult circumstances, and that I should be proud of myself.
“To him, that’s a little thing to do, a small gesture, but for me to receive that sort of praise off the likes of him, it’s huge and I won’t lie, it put a massive smile on my face when I received the text. I was quite surprised, to be honest.”
Legend
Everything you hear about van Dijk makes you love him more and more.
He’s a great footballer and a fantastic leader, but it seems as though he’s also a brilliant character.
Van Dijk is undoubtedly one of the best defenders in the world, so giving Phillips guidance and praise will certainly have helped his development.
Van Dijk is absolutely right about the fact he did a great job towards the end of last season, and Phillips should definitely be proud of himself.
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