Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk further showed his desire to be involved in academy football in the wake of the FA Cup victory over Wolves
Virgil van Dijk has shown his true Liverpool colours and provided a further hint at his plans for the future
Virgil van Dijk has shown his true Liverpool colours and provided a further hint at his plans for the future(Image: (Photo by Andrew Kearns - CameraSport via Getty Images))
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Virgil van Dijk was back watching Liverpool's next generation just 12 hours on from captaining the senior team's FA Cup win over Wolves. Arne Slot's side responded perfectly to defeat at Molineux in the Premier League three days earlier by winning 3-1 on Friday night to seal a spot in the quarter-final draw.
Goals from Andy Robertson, Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones sealed the victory. However, Van Dijk would have been disappointed for Liverpool to lose the clean sheet when Hwang Hee-chan netting a late consolation goal, even though he was taken off 12 minutes before the end.
Despite only returning from Birmingham during the early hours of Saturday morning, Van Dijk was up early this morning to watch the Under-18 Premier League North game between Liverpool and Manchester City at the Kirkby Academy. The young Reds were beaten 3-0 by the league leaders but still sit in fourth.
The 34-year-old is a regular spectator for Liverpool youth games with his interest in academy football stretching beyond his current club.
In March 2025, he launched the 'Virgil's Legacy Trophy', a tournament held at his boyhood club, Willem II, that pits top academies against each other in 11v11 matches.
That is seemingly where a lot of Van Dijk's effort will go at the conclusion of his playing career with the Netherlands international confirming in an interview with Gary Neville, he has no real plans to be a pundit or even go into management.
He told Sky Sports: “I'd never say never, because I feel like I have that platform of saying or doing the right thing, but I don't see myself being a pundit.
“I don't think I see myself being a coach. I feel like you're stepping from one world in terms of being under pressure constantly - not that I don't like it because it's part of what I wanted to be - to then quitting for a little bit and then go back in it, and then also have no control really of what's going to happen on the pitch.
“I really like inspiring the next generation. I'm at the academy quite a lot because I feel like those are the guys that are eventually going to keep Liverpool up there.
Virgil van Dijk and Rio Ngumoha of Liverpool
Virgil van Dijk had a clear Liverpool message for Rio Ngumoha
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"I have my own youth tournament and I want to make sure it's the biggest U13s tournament in the world, so something with that. I know what it brings to those youngsters, and I really like that. But let's see, there's plenty of time.”
Van Dijk is arguably already helping the next generation with a clear message sent by the centre-back to Rio Ngumoha after his excellent display in the win over Wolves.
He told TNT Sports: “Obviously we all see day in, day out how special [a] talent he is in terms of one-v-ones and the pace he drives at players. He’s working hard, he’s a good boy and we are looking after him.
“We speak to him constantly and he needs to keep learning, keep soaking it all up and take it into his progress [Friday] was a good day for him. Nothing more, nothing less. He has to keep going.”
Liverpool are in Champions League action up next as they face Galatasaray in a last-16 first leg in Turkiye next Tuesday.