Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has praised the form of Milos Kerez and assessed the situation of Mohamed Salah
Liverpool defenders Virgil van Dijk and Milos Kerkez
Liverpool defenders Virgil van Dijk and Milos Kerkez(Image: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
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It had unwittingly become a snapshot of the struggle for Liverpool's new-look side during the difficult autumn months earlier in the season. But the change in fortunes for both team and player mean any on-field messages directed from skipper Virgil van Dijk towards Milos Kerkez are now more likely to be complimentary than critical.
Kerkez continued his impressive recent form with a man-of-the-match display in helping the Reds see off Brighton on Saturday evening to progress to the FA Cup fifth round.
The left-back's Anfield journey has not been the most straightforward since arriving for £40million from Bournemouth in the summer as the long-term replacement for Andy Robertson.
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But Van Dijk believes Kerkez, who created the opener against Brighton for Curtis Jones, is starting to adapt to the unique demands of playing for Liverpool.
“I think it is pretty clear you definitely see an improvement," said the Liverpool centre-back. "He is still so young and is getting used to being a Liverpool player, it is a lot more than kick a ball on the pitch. Especially when the team has been inconsistent, it's not easy to play your best games.
"But with the help of Robbo and the rest of the team and his own development I think he is making big progress. What I see is there is a lot to come for him to learn and improve but that's a good thing. He just has to keep going.
“He has a lot of energy. He is young (laughs). When we were young we were always full of energy. He is eager to learn.
"The price tag you can't do anything about. When I joined the club it was also like that. £75million was a lot of money, but what can I do about it?"
As partner to Kerkez on the left side of the defence, Van Dijk could regularly be seen earlier in the campaign expressing his views and imparting wisdom while offering some curt advice.
It didn't always make for an easy watch. But for the Liverpool captain, the interventions were a necessary part of Kerkez's learning curve.
“Of course I had chats because on the pitch we need each other, whether it is positioning or even today he presses as a full-back and I have to cover," said Van Dijk.
"It's a collaboration that you obviously have to understand each other and me and Robbo had that for so many years and you still see that in our game. That is something that has to develop over games.
"Conversations are happening 100% behind the scenes and in games, like with the rest of the team, to try to be the best team and players on the pitch."
Saturday also saw Mohamed Salah deliver one of his best performances of the season, laying on the second goal for Dominik Szoboszlai before winning and then converting the penalty for Liverpool's third.
Two months earlier, there were fears the home Premier League win over Brighton could be Salah's last game for Liverpool as he headed off for Africa Cup of Nations duty a week after his explosive comments claiming he was being scapegoated for the Reds' poor form and had no relationship with the head coach Arne Slot.
Relations have improved since then with Salah having registered two goals and four assists in seven games since returning from international duty with Egypt.
And Van Dijk said: "Mo is still so important for us. Last week he had an assist again and broke another record and he is still the leader and important for me personally, as a captain, to have around and to have him on the pitch and his presence benefits the team.
“He always gives the team more than goals. There's obviously a lot of focus on his goals at the moment and that's also part of his life because he puts the standards so extremely high, so when he doesn't score as much he gets criticised.
"He has to stay calm and try to be important with everything he still can do and there is so much still. He is important for us on and off the pitch."
Nevertheless, there remain question marks over Salah's future with the Saudi Pro League believed ready to launch yet another bid for the 33-year-old in the summer.
“The situation is what it is," said Van Dijk. "The full focus is on trying to make this season a success first and we will see how then the season ends and then you never know what happens.
"I always want Mo to stay because I'm a good friend of him and we've been through the highs and not-so-highs – I don't want to call them lows – together for so many years. The same as me he's got one more year, so we will see.”
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