Liverpool’s legendary captain and centre-back Virgil van Dijk spoke to the press where he offered his thoughts on who may be considered to inherit the captain’s armband following his inevitable departure from the club.
The Dutch defender has been tasked with leading Liverpool through a rocky season in which they will ultimately fail to defend the Premier League title they cruised to in the previous campaign. However, amid the chaos of the inconsistent season, one name has stood out: Dominic Szoboszlai.
The Hungarian has shown his quality for the team on a regular basis this season, repeatedly providing the decisive goal or assist in difficult moments Liverpool have faced up and down the country. After arriving from RB Leipzig in 2023, he has gone on to play 129 times, scoring 25 and providing 21 assists.
“I think can make the next step in terms of being a leader for this team"
Van Dijk was asked about his thoughts on Szoboszlai potentially inheriting the captain’s armband when he leaves Liverpool: “Is he a future captain?," he questioned, "that’s all on the manager, I think."
He then, in true captain’s fashion, offered some advice: “Obviously he has been very good. Also, a player who I think can still make the next step in terms of being a leader for this team.”
“It starts by leading by example and that’s something he has done so far this season. But also everything around it; there is still progress to be made, and that’s a good thing in my opinion, so hopefully, he will be very important for the years to come at Liverpool.”
Virgil van Dijk is one of Liverpool’s modern greats: he has played over 350 games for the club across 9 seasons, and was one of the cornerstone signings that arguably took them from top-4 challengers to title contenders. At the Merseyside club he has won 2 Premier League titles, 1 Champions League, 2 FA Cups, 1 FIFA Club World Cup, and 1 UEFA Super Cup.