"I am still Virgil van Dijk, the big leader!" - Liverpool captain hints his future

It won't be the same without Virgil van Dijk at Anfield one day. Thankfully for the Reds' fanbase, that day won't come any time soon, as it seems. The Dutch defender indicated he wants to extend his stay with Liverpool, the club he joined from Southampton in 2018.

The 33-year-old's contract with the Reds is set to expire next July, but in quotes reported in The Mirror the Netherlands' centre-back pointed to his level of "responsibility" for both club and country.

Van Dijk outraged: It says it all that the ref went to the locker room quite quickly

Van Dijk said: "At both teams, I am still Virgil van Dijk, the big leader! And I certainly want to remain that for the next two years.

"I am human, I have emotions, too. You start thinking all kinds of things, especially just after a game like the elimination [by England at Euro 2024] at the very last minute.

"I also understand that it came across as unclear on how I stood in all this because after the match, I was so disappointed and full of emotion. It perhaps came across as if it had been my last international match. I did have doubts that night and I did hint at that.

"It's very good that I went on holiday the next day, was able to spend time with my children, my family, which is the most important thing in my life. I was able to share it and then very quickly things calmed down."

Van Dijk continued: "The moment I started talking to the national coach, I was already fine with it. It is quite normal that the national coach and the captain make an analysis about how the European Championship went.

"But it is also about the confidence you get and you look at your own ability and ask whether you are still important enough. I am very much important, on and off the pitch. I don't like to say that about myself, but I am. The responsibility at the club and at the national team is still super big," concluded VVD.