Speaking on the Pitch Side Podcast, Virgil van Dijk has been discussing players who have taken him by surprise upon joining Liverpool.
The Reds have made a number of quality signings who have immediately made an impact in recent years, but van Dijk says that two new additions stick out in his mind.
Indeed, the defender says that Ibrahima Konate shocked him due to his outspoken personality and Luis Diaz shocked him because he settled immediately after joining halfway through a season.
Diaz and Konate shocked van Dijk
The centre-back responded when asked about which signings took him by surprise.
“Since you’ve come into the club who has come into the club and taken you by surprise, whether that’s their character in the dressing room or on the field?” Van Dijk was asked.
“That’s a difficult one. Konate over the past year, personality wise he’s very outspoken, bubbly and chatty and he’s quality on the pitch of course. An incredible player for now and for the future. He’s the first one who comes to mind,” Van Dijk said.
“Also looking at Luis Diaz coming in during the winter. I know how difficult that can be settling in a new team as quickly as he did, so those two guys come to mind immediately.”
Instant impacts
The most shocking thing about Konate and Diaz’s arrivals wasn’t that they were quality players but just how quickly they got to grips with this Liverpool team.
Jurgen Klopp’s side is one of the best and most tactically unique teams in world football and it can take some players months to adapt to this way of playing – just look at the likes of Naby Keita and Thiago Alcantara.
However, Konate immediately settled at centre-back, while Diaz established himself as one of the Premier League’s most dangerous attackers within about 20 minutes of his debut.
Van Dijk isn’t the only one who was caught off-guard by these two.
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