Virgil van Dijk offered brief but emotional praise for the role Mohamed Salah has played at Liverpool ahead of his exit, underlining the hole he will leave in the squad.
Before the end of the title-winning season, both Van Dijk and Salah penned new contracts that extended their time at the club to 2027, but only one will see out their deal.
The club’s third-highest goalscorer of all time announced during the international break that this would be his last season at Anfield, triggering widespread tributes and mixed emotions.
The duo were key to Liverpool’s win against Everton, and when speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Van Dijk spoke emotionally on Salah’s importance to him and the team.
“There will be a lot of words coming out of my mouth in the next couple of weeks on him,” Van Dijk started.
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“Listen, he’s so important for us on and off the pitch. I would say the appreciation sometimes comes when a player is gone, but we appreciate him so much.
“He’s an outstanding teammate to have, obviously we’ve been through everything together – highs, lows – and he will still be important for the five games we have to play.
“It will be emotional for him and his family for sure, but for us as well, because he meant a lot to me, a lot to the team and to the fans, of course.
“First we still have a job to do, and he knows it. That’s the main focus.”
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 25, 2025: Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah come together to sing "You'll Never Walk Alone" after the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Crystal Palace FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
It will not be Van Dijk’s wish for the No. 11 to depart, with the duo having been through everything together since 2018. In fact, the Dutchman has played more with Salah than any other player in his career, sharing the pitch 331 times.
It is, however, a reality the captain and supporters now have to live with, and the emotional tributes will continue in the final weeks of the campaign.
But perhaps sensing the emotional nature of his captain’s words during the interview, Salah joked about Van Dijk accidentally saying there were two games left in the season rather than five.
“He said the last two games, so I don’t know if Arne told him something,” Salah laughingly said.
At least he can laugh about being left out of the team!
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