Virgil van Dijk has shared how Jurgen Klopp informed the Liverpool team of his decision to resign as manager last year. The Reds’ skipper referred to the shocking news as “f****** weird”.
The two-time Premier League champion also discussed the differences between his former manager and current head coach Arne Slot in a conversation with fashion and lifestyle publication GQ. Klopp’s choice to step down after nine largely successful years at Anfield was announced publicly in late January 2024, after he had notified the club’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, in November 2023.
Van Dijk reveals that the players were made aware of Klopp’s decision two days before it became public knowledge on Friday, January 26 last year, and confessed that it was a surreal experience for the entire squad.
“We only found out Jurgen was leaving a couple days before everyone else,” Van Dijk discloses. “It was very tough to hear. The day he told us, we were all being called into the dressing room and it was f****** weird.
“We never do that. We were like, ‘why are we here?’ It was a bit of a shock, really. For some of the players in that dressing room, they’ve never even experienced any other manager.
“He was one of the biggest reasons I joined this club (in January 2018). From the first time we sat down, he was adamant: he told me I was going to change his life. He said he wanted me and nobody else.
“Klopp embodied what Liverpool stands for. It was what the fans had been looking for. With all the successes that we had together, and the culture that he created. It was difficult. But it was done.
(Image: Getty Images)
“Arne’s very calm. It’s different. With Klopp, what you see is what you get. You could come to him with anything. But Arne is more specific.
“He has a clear idea of the way he wants his teams to play, which is different to how we were under Jurgen, which was already obviously super successful…It was a challenge [to adapt to], but it has been a good challenge.”
Confirmed as Premier League winners on Sunday after thrashing Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 at Anfield and rocketing 15 points ahead of Arsenal with four games yet to go, the Liverpool captain can now celebrate in earnest.
Nearly five years ago, Van Dijk’s season screeched to a halt when he suffered an ACL injury during a 2-2 draw against Everton following a rash challenge by goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
Reflecting on this painful moment, the Netherlands skipper regards the gruelling recovery period post his October 2020 injury as one of the most impactful stretches of his life.
Learn more
Delving into the tribulations of his rehabilitation, Van Dijk remarked: “It was one of the best times of my life. Look, it was tough. Mentally more than anything.
“You do have sleepless nights. You keep asking yourself, How is this gonna pan out? Will I be the same player? But physically, I think, because you’re an athlete, you can cope.
“It’s just – I had to do the majority of my rehab away from the club, in Dubai, so I was with my family, which was so nice. Seven weeks with them. I never get to do that.
“It was some of the best family time I’ve ever had. And, obviously, no-one wants to get a serious knee injury, but that time we had was sort of worth it.”
The Reds’ captain is tipped to be in the starting lineup when the newly-crowned champions face off against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge come Sunday afternoon.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Liverpool ECHO by clicking here.
