- Jürgen Klopp said goodbye to Liverpool on Sunday after nine years at the club
- Reds skipper Virgil van Dijk expressed his emotions following Klopp’s departure
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Virgil van Dijk says he was surprised Jurgen Klopp was able to avoid crying after his last game against Liverpool. The captain insists there is no way he can ‘stay dry’ when he eventually says goodbye to Anfield.
The Reds captain said he was very emotional after the match because Klopp is a manager who has made him a ‘better player and a better person’. Van Dijk’s contract at Liverpool expires next summer and while he admitted a new contract is not on the table, he loves the club and is in no rush to leave.
“You can’t always see it, but I’m very emotional,” says Van Dijk, 32. “It was an interesting week, much more so for the manager himself, but personally I went through everything with him and the staff, the guys who leave, Joel (Matip) and Thiago.
‘It was always going to be a very difficult day. (Klopp’s impact) is quite clear, it’s huge and something I’ll be forever grateful for. He made me a better player, a better person, a better captain. It is heavy.’
Elaborating on his contract story, Van Dijk added: ‘My future is not important at the moment. The only thing I can say now is that if I say goodbye I would not be dry (and not cry) I think, because that was something that I was very surprised by with him (Klopp).
Virgil van Dijk said he was surprised Jurgen Klopp did not cry after his last game against Liverpool
Van Dijk said he was very emotional after the match because Klopp is a manager who has made him a ‘better player and a better person’ and he also said he will cry when he says goodbye to Liverpool
“These fans are something else and when they finally say goodbye to you it will be special. Even to Joel I said: ‘How did you keep it dry, friend?’. He just wanted to walk through quickly and be with us, so I think he did a pretty good job.
‘I can’t say anything at the moment. Nothing has changed and nothing is on the table. Nothing will change in my situation at all.’
Van Dijk made headlines a few months ago when he refused to commit his future to the club – saying he would see what happens with all the changes to come – but he has since spoken about his love for Liverpool, hinting that he that wants. to extend his deal.
Van Dijk also revealed that he has not been offered a new contract before it expires next summer
In the same way, he talked about the ‘enormous changes’ that the impending arrival of Arne Slot would bring
Asked about all the changes that will come with Arne Slot replacing Klopp, the Dutchman said: ‘Huge changes. Not just the manager, but there are several departments within the club where a lot of staff are leaving and we are at the stage where we have to trust the club.
‘We will see in the preparation what it will look like. Change is sometimes a bit scary because you are in the unknown, but all you can do is trust the club and we will find out what it looks like when we come back and report for pre-season.
‘I do know one thing: we need a good break after our tournaments (European Championships or Copa America), otherwise we will get into trouble when we start the season. Hopefully the new manager will also look at that.’