"I want to leave this legacy behind" | Virgil van Dijk on inspiring the next generation
Van Dijk on Liverpool captaincy, leadership and leaving a legacy that inspires the next generation
This is an interview with Virgil van Dijk about carrying the Liverpool captaincy, how leadership has changed, and how new players are brought into the club's standards. He also reflects on his tough route to the top, what makes a leader and his best captaincy moment, concluding that responsibility comes from within and that his biggest achievement is leaving a legacy that inspires the next generation.
- The responsibility he feels is already at its maximum and comes from inside him rather than from other people's expectations — He says the weight is not driven by everyone else's expectations but by his own internal feeling.
- Playing for Liverpool means understanding what the shirt represents and giving everything in a game every three or four days — He says millions around the world love the shirt and support the team through thick and thin; that understanding is a process, and it is not as easy as outsiders saying what should be done.
- New players must first feel at ease and welcome, then understand Liverpool's values and expectations; players should realize people look up to them without needing to be Mr Perfect — He says he speaks to new players 100 per cent and wants them to understand what it means to play for the club, from small things to bigger things, because the outside world is watching at the highest level.
- Liverpool's minimum standard is hard work, never giving up and being a good human being; every match must be played with everything from the first whistle to the last — He says emotions and mistakes vary, but games come every three or four days and a career passes quickly, so players must seize it.
- Leadership has changed massively, and today he must look for different ways to lead — He recalls that the core group when he joined succeeded by being hard on each other and doing it together, but society, football and this generation are now different.
- The core of leadership is an inner sense of responsibility, and that trait is either there or not — He says whether leaders are born is hard to answer, but a person must feel responsibility; liking or not liking that burden is fine.
- He had to work for every step and never imagined becoming Netherlands and Liverpool captain, so he is especially grateful — He started in the under-23s, made his first-team debut eight months later, faced doubts in the Netherlands, went to Celtic and kept proving himself before reaching the Premier League.
- There is more than one route to the top than the unique path of Messi and Ronaldo, and sharing a difficult journey can inspire young players — His own career was built step by step, and he wants youngsters to know there are different ways of getting there.
- The biggest achievement is leaving a legacy that inspires the next generation — He says he wanted to be like Ronaldo as a kid, and hearing high-level defenders say they look up to him is special.
- His best moment as Liverpool captain was the Premier League title day, especially arriving for the Spurs game and lifting the trophy — The title was secured four weeks earlier; he saw a stadium full of red, fans and family in the stands, felt emotional and felt his hard work had paid off, then received the trophy from a club legend.
► Subscribe to Sky Sports Premier League: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsPL ► Watch Sky Sports with NOW: https://bit.ly/NOWPremierLeagueYT Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk discusses his role as a leader of the club, his legacy and his best moment as captain so far. premierleague football liverpool Chapters 00:00 - Responsibility 03:10 - Expectations 04:10 - Leadership 06:06 - Character 08:30 - Legacy 09:15 - Captaincy 10:23 - Best moment ► Premier League highlights: https://bit.ly/PL2627HL ► MNF, FNF, SNF & Super Sunday analysis: https://bit.ly/SkyMatchAnalysis ► Gary Neville Podcast: https://bit.ly/GaryNevillePodcast ► Saturday Social: https://bit.ly/SkySaturdaySocial ► Buy this season’s shirts: https://bit.ly/SkySportsShop More from Sky Sports on YouTube: ► Sky Sports: http://bit.ly/SkySportsSub ► Sky Sports Boxing: http://bit.ly/SSBoxingSub ► Sky Sports Cricket: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyCricket ► Sky Sports Darts: https://bit.ly/SubSkySportsDarts ► Sky Sports Football: http://bit.ly/SSFootballSub ► Sky Sports F1: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyF1 ► Sky Sports Golf: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsGolf ► Sky Sports News: http://bit.ly/SkySportsNewsSub ► Sky Sports Retro: http://bit.ly/SkySportsRetroSub ► Sky Sports WSL: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsWSL ► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SkySportsFootball ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skysportsfootball ► TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skysportsfootball ► X: https://x.com/SkySportsPL ► Website: https://www.skysports.com ► To enquire about licensing Sky Sports content, you can find out more here: https://www.skysports.com/more-sports/news/31754/11434270/license-sky-sports-footage
Transcript
So Virgil, your ninth season with Liverpool and looking from the outside, it feels like gradually and then suddenly so much has changed. So for you as that happens do you feel like the responsibility grow to enforce Liverpool standards and culture and history? Do you feel like the privilege of that but also the weight of that responsibility? >> I think the responsibility that I feel is it's already to the maximum pain but that's not because of the expectation of everyone else but it's just the feeling that I have in inside of me. Um now obviously like you said so many changes have happened. Um but also life has has evolved life the the the way society has been viewed the way football is at the moment the way this generation is and that's something you have to deal with. Um so the way the way to approach a team a group of players is different than when I joined the club. And >> so even in that quite short space really like and that's why you know you can you can say like as an outsider you can say yeah you should have done this or you should have done that. It's not that easy, but it doesn't change the fact that I feel that responsibility in order to understand for a player what it means to be playing for Liverpool, to be wearing that shirt, a shirt that so many millions around the world love to wear and they support you through through thick and thin. And you have to understand what it then means to turn up each and every three, four days and to give everything that you got. But it's a process and um it's something that's excited and I feel very privileged to be able to be in a position to do so. So it's just it's just embracing it and uh it's not always easy but we we life isn't always easy. >> So do you speak to young players? Do you speak to new players kind of as you're speaking to me? >> 100%. Yeah. Yeah. Of course. I think obviously when new players come in, I think it's very important that you make them feel at ease, welcome. You want them to feel how you would feel when you join the club. And obviously by time you want them to understand what it means to play for this club and uh what the values are, what we expect. And it goes from the small things to the bigger things and how the outside world is viewing you because you play in an absolute highest level. But you don't forget you play for one of the biggest clubs of the world and uh so everything you do has to be good and not good in a way of like you have to be Mr. Perfect but in terms of like you have to people are looking up to you and uh yeah that's a good thing. >> Well go on then. Yeah. I mean, some of it's for the dressing room, I guess, but >> most of it. >> Most of it. But what does this place expect? What do you expect Liverpool captain? >> Oh, the bare minimum is hard work, never give up, and uh and be a good human being. So that's it's it it doesn't it's not a lot but it's not always easy because you go emotionally obviously everyone is different deal with things differently and when you win you lose you're not playing you are playing you score you don't score you make a mistake it's all like how you deal with certain things and then you play every three four days that you have to make you have to turn up regardless because when that when that first whistle goes until the final whistle you have to give everything for that patch. And it's a privilege. It's a It's a real It's such a It's such a good thing. And uh and then also before you know it, it's gone. So you just have to go for it. >> How much has leadership changed? >> Oh, massively. Massively. And I think you can look at all the big teams at the moment and it's all pretty similar. When I joined the club, Jordan was so important, but Millie was so important. Um Lana was very important. Obviously the manager was important but there was this and obviously I was I became third captain after six months and I was part of that group as well and it teaches me so much but we had that sort of core that worked at that time moment of time you know we were hard on each other Robersonson I forgot Robbo by the way Ali um >> but we were we know that we if we want to become successful we have to do it together and uh you know it there was this sort of dynamic that worked um hard for each other um but also the acceptance and like you said like life is evolved in any profession like it's it's just a bit it's just a bit different. So you have to then look for different ways to lead and let others understand what it is to go through difficult moments together. And that's definitely a challenge, but it's uh something that is it's to take on board and and and work with because like I said, it's not only in in football, it's in in all sorts of, you know, aspects in life in my opinion. >> Do you think you're born a leader or do you think you grow into one? >> I don't know. That's difficult for me to answer. I think >> Okay. Not just not just necessarily you need something that's innate or I think you have to feel sort of a responsibility and I think you either have that or you don't and that's fine. Yeah. Either you like it or don't. Yeah, I think so. Yeah. I don't know if this is difficult for me to answer. >> What made you the type of character you are? What my journey was and and and why I am who I am is that I had to work for every step of the way. And and I've never I've never ever thought even when I was making my professional debut in at FC that I would have achieved what I've achieved so far and being the captain of Holland, being the captain of Liverpool football club and it's just like that's why I'm so appreciative because it's just very special and uh obviously when uh things are a little bit more quiet in in years to come then um Let's see how we uh how we see it then. >> So, do you almost feel like it being tough made you tough? Like the hard times, you almost wouldn't have it any other way because you you wouldn't be the guy that you are without it. I think everything happens for a reason, but for sure that you know me dealing with tough moments and it's it's maybe it's not it's nice to say that you had tough moments but obviously like I started in under 23 and eight months later I made my profession my first team debut then I just cracked on and then obviously I wanted to go to well wanted to go obviously the the the logical step will be then to make the next up in Holland and obviously they had doubts and they were unsure and then obviously I went to Celtic had an amazing time there and then obviously there I had to prove myself to go to the Premier League and then step by step I came where I am today and everyone has their own journey and I'm very proud of my journey and what makes my journey more like for me why I appreciate it even more is that I know what it takes all the hard work you know what the hard work that I put in and and I share those experiences because I feel Like we see a lot obviously about the best players of all time the world like Messi, Ronaldo because they have they are one of a kind players but sometimes good for other youngsters to know that there are different ways to getting there and uh it's nice to inspire and I want to leave this legacy behind and I think I did pretty well so far but that's all to say but um in terms of inspiring this next generation >> what Does that mean so much to you inspiring the next generation? Why do you think that strikes a chord for you? >> I think that's the the biggest achievement you can do to leave a legacy behind that inspired you know other kids like how amazing is it when a young kid say I want to be like Virg like I was when I was young I wanted to be like Ronaldo. He inspired me and I think so many generations uh so many players from my generation and that's I think that's that's special and uh when I hear defenders that playing on the on on the high level now saying that obviously they look up to me those are like those are special moments and uh and something I really uh appreciate a lot. the moment you were told you were Liverpool captain. You know there's like these moments in life and you know really big moments good and bad that [snorts] that almost feel like they're in slow motion. Is that one for you being told you Liverpool captain? Do you remember everything about it that the room the way it was told to you and all sorts? >> Yes, I do. Yes, I do. Like you said, it's it's a massive moment and uh yeah, obviously we were obviously in Asia. Um, so many things happening obviously with when obviously Jordan leaving and um I obviously you have that feeling but when it's actually when the word is out and then when you call when I call my wife and and it's special it's special and then the realization for how big it is comes with every moment it get announced and um so yeah it's really something that will forever be yeah close to me. Same as the call that I had for winning the PFA awards. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Special moments and something I will forever keep close to my heart. >> Best moment as Liverpool captain? >> As Liverpool captain? >> Yeah. There was like for sure like the whole buildup towards winning the Premier League. Obviously we got it done four weeks earlier. I remember arriving to the stadium for the Spurs game. Um, seeing all the fans, stadium was beautiful, all in red, uh, family in the stands, kids. I was very emotional that day and obviously in a good way, in a very appreciative way of like, you [cheering] know, I've worked so hard to get where I am and uh, to be able to finish off today was like for me incredible. And uh and then obviously in the trophy lift, get the trophy from from the big legend Ellen Hansen. Then and I'm I'm a pretty emotional guy. So yeah, it was it was not easy to uh yeah contain my emotions emotions, but I managed to do so. >> I wouldn't have you down as an emotional guy. [laughter] >> You're going to see it though in the future eventually when I have to walk out the club and um it will be a very emotional day. It's been an incredible journey.