LIVE
...

Follow us on

Soccer News

Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk admits he must raise his game

Virgil Van Dijk of Liverpool looks on during the Premier League match between Southampton and Liverpool at St Mary's Stadium on February 11, 2018 i...
Follow us on Google Discover

The Liverpool defender joined Jürgen Klopp’s men from Southampton in January.

Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool celebrates with team mates as he scores their second goal during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Liverpool and Everton at Anfield on January 5,...

Liverpool’s club record signing Virgil van Dijk sat down for an exclusive interview with BBC Sport, and admitted that he must raise his game, after finding the adjustment to Jürgen Klopp’s high-octane training methods to be an extremely challenging one.

The Holland international joined the Reds from Southampton in January, for a fee believed to be worth in the region of £75 million, and he has made seven appearances for Klopp’s side since then.

The step up in both quality and intensity would have been one that was expected by the 26-year-old, and he told BBC Sport how he still needs to raise his game despite the fact that he is slowly become accustomed to how his new team operate:

Sadio Mane of Liverpool receives the match ball from Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool after scoring hatrick after the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 First Leg match between FC Porto and...

“Every day here is tough, we work very hard, we run a lot. It’s a big difference from what I was used to. So I need to step up my game. Now it’s getting better every day and I’m getting used to everything, the way we play and the intensity of our game, because it’s a lot higher than what I was used to.”

Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool is put under pressure from Dusan Tadic of Southampton during the Premier League match between Southampton and Liverpool at St Mary's Stadium on February 11,...

The Merseyside outfit are currently flying high, both domestically and on the continent, and with Van Dijk now amongst their ranks, they are expected to achieve great things on both fronts.

The 26-year-old has undoubtedly brought an added level of authority to Liverpool’s back-line, and as he continues to become more accustomed to his new surroundings, he will surely only get better, and that is great news for the Reds.