Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has admitted he is dreading the departure of Jurgen Klopp at the end of the season following a nine year spell at Anfield.
Klopp shocked the footballing world when he announced in January he would be stepping down at the end of season saying he needed a break from the game.
The German is aiming to go out on a high having already won the Carabao Cup and is still in contention for the Premier League with his side two points clear at the top of the table and the Europa League where the Reds face a quarter final against Italian side Atalanta.
Van Dijk’s future isn’t clear either with the Dutch international only having a year left on his current deal but he has been a key player during Klopp’s reign having joined from Southampton for around £75m in 2018.
Van Dijk dreading Klopp departure
The duo have won eight trophies together and the 32-year-old has admitted the day Klopp leaves will be ‘horrible’.
Speaking to ITV News he said: ‘Very difficult, I’m a very emotional person and I don’t like to say goodbyes. Being the captain now, it’s gonna be horrible in the sense you probably have to speak a little bit. And like I say that day I’ll be dreading.
“It makes it a lot easier if we have success. So that’s the aim at the moment. But it’s difficult and it’s not only the boss who is leaving, it’s going to be a lot of changes and more staff leaving, but it will be a tough day. Until the day we’ll fight and be positive and put all of our focus and effort in that and make the season successful.”
The former Southampton man admitted the 56-year-olds impending departure had motivated the squad more to achieve success.
“I think we already so much motivated to make this season a success”, he added.
“We know at the end of the season will be emotional. But we can make it emotional in a good way by winning trophies. That’s the we want to do it for ourselves.
“We want to do for the boss. We want to do for the football club around the world. The fans around the world I mean yeah, we all we all work so hard each and every day. Eventually, to win silverware, that’s what we’re gonna try and do.”
Liverpool will be desperate to tie Van Dijk down to a new deal but the Dutchman has been unwilling to commit his future to the club following Klopp’s announcement.
Van Dijk was unsure when asked if he would still be at the club after Klopp leaves and said: “That’s a big question. I don’t know.”