Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk will finally get the moment he has been thinking about for some time this weekend. Once the Crystal Palace game is out of the way, the Reds’ skipper will lift the Premier League trophy above his head.
“I would love to lift the cup with the club I love so much,” Van Dijk told reporters before the title was confirmed. “If it doesn’t happen [when Arsenal played Crystal Palace] then we have the opportunity to do it on Sunday in front of our own fans at a red Anfield.
“It will be special, that is for sure. But let’s see what this week brings. As a Liverpool fan, I think you have to be excited and be up for it — (Spurs) is a big game regardless, and it will be interesting games after that as well.”
Since then, Liverpool has beaten Spurs to generate incredible scenes at Anfield when the title was won. Arne Slot has made changes to his starting XI since then, rotating his players and earning just one point from a possible nine.
In reality, though, while Roy Keane might be fuming about such a decision, the hard work has already been done. Liverpool is in a position where it can begin looking ahead to next season and it has taken it.
Now, Van Dijk and his teammates can look forward to Sunday’s trophy lift and then the parade that will follow on Monday, when the Reds will take a trip around the city on an open-top bus.
“It still feels unreal, and it should feel like that,” Van Dijk said after the title was wrapped up. “It shouldn’t die down and in my eyes it won’t.
“Obviously there’s other games now but it’s all building up now to the 25th and you have to enjoy it. You have to soak it all up.
“There’s a lot of — how do you call it? — I won’t say dreaming because it will be a reality. But I can picture it and it will be a very emotional day.
“My family will be there, my mum, my wife, my kids. But until we get there, we must keep focusing on the games ahead of us and try to win the last three games in front of us.
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“Hopefully [the parade will be] even better than what we had after the Champions League final. I already encouraged everyone to wear red in the last game and keep doing that for the rest of the season because everyone saw how amazing it was.
“For so many fans and people that have been going to Anfield for so many years it was one of their best days ever, so hopefully the 25th will top that and the parade will be even more crazy than ever and there will be even more people coming from around the world to be in Liverpool to come and be with us.”
Liverpool.com says: It is going to be a special couple of days for the Reds. Sunday’s game is secondary to the trophy lift and then the parade will be spectacular.
