Van Dijk: "Liverpool deserve to win trophies"
Liverpool are unlucky to be competing with Manchester City, according to Virgil van Dijk, but he insists the Reds merit some silverware.
Virgil van Dijk says Liverpool deserve to win trophies this season and he expects the Premier League title race to go down to the wire. Jürgen Klopp's side have only lost once in 29 league games in 2018-19 - a 2-1 defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in January - but a run of four draws in their last six top-flight matches has seen them slip a point behind the champions at the top of the table. Van Dijk believes Liverpool are unlucky to be competing against another side showing such consistency, but he is determined to end the campaign with silverware.
"We'll give everything we've got" - Van Dijk
"That's the unlucky bit for us - they've been fantastic throughout the whole season," he told BBC Sport. "We've been doing fantastic as well. I think it's something good for people that love football to see. We'll give everything we have, and they probably will, too. The Premier League would be something special, also this year because the race is so tight. I want to achieve everything that's possible in football and get everything out of myself and not have any regrets when I retire. My dream is to win trophies with Liverpool because Liverpool deserve trophies. We're close, we're still in the race and we're going to fight until the end."
Van Dijk has been one of Liverpool's standout performers since joining from Southampton in January 2017 for a reported fee of £75million. However, despite marshalling the best defence in the league this season, the Netherlands international says Klopp has not always been happy with his efforts.
Not immune to criticism
"He's hard to me and he also gives me confidence," Van Dijk said of his manager. "We've had plenty of meetings throughout the season where he's definitely not happy with some things. I think that's a good sign. Even when we've lost one game all season, there are moments when we need to be much better."
The 27-year-old says playing for the Reds is the most fun he has had in his professional career. "Playing for Liverpool makes me enjoy it the same way as when I started playing football," he added. "There's a lot of pressure but, without pressure, there's not really something to play for. I'm enjoying every bit of it. When I'm on the pitch, I'm definitely someone that gives everything for the win. As a centre-back, you need to slow the game down, and sometimes you need to make sure that you speed it up. With how we play, there can be a lot of chaos going on, with counter-attacks and when we win the ball we go again and go again. Sometimes, you need someone to calm things down."