Interview with Virgil van Dijk, who scored on his debut for Liverpool!
“I’m really blessed and privileged to play for Liverpool FC. Anfield is home. This is the place to be. For me, for my family. I love the city, I love the club, I love the fans, I love my teammates. I love everything that embodies Liverpool.
Liverpool, the champions of Europe! The people make me feel like one of them. I’m one of the Scousers. When you go through these successes, and you see what it means to the people and everyone connected to Liverpool around the world, you want to achieve this again and again and again, and that’s the motivation.
When the captain was needed, he stepped forward for the big moment. It was always Liverpool.”
“Well, you sat here saying what you’re about to say will make millions of Liverpool fans so happy. What about you, how are you feeling right now, to get this done?”
“Very happy, very proud. There’s so many emotions… that go through my head right now speaking about it. It’s a proud feeling, it’s a feeling of joy. It’s just incredible, the journey I’ve had so far in my career, to be able to extend it with another two years at this club, it’s amazing, and, yeah, I’m so happy.”
“It was always Liverpool, wasn’t it?”
“It was always Liverpool, yeah. Yeah, that was the case, it was always in my head, it was always the plan, it was always Liverpool, so there wasn’t any doubt in my head that… this is the place to be. For me, for my family.
I’m one of Liverpool, someone called me the other day an adopted Scouser, so I’m really proud to hear these things and it gives me a great feeling.”
“Can we finish on a lot of what you’ve been talking about here, what you are to the fans, what the fans are to you and what the city is to you as well? How big a motivating factor is it that, in this final couple of games, that you might get the chance to celebrate it with them, when you never had the opportunity last time?”
“Yeah, I think obviously we’ve all seen Mo speak quite a bit about it, that we deserve… that we deserve it all. And, in some ways, I fully understand him. And on the other side of it, I think we have a job still to do, but when we do it, we all have the right to celebrate it for how long and how many days or weeks we want. Because we should. Because it’s hard work, and… it will be amazing. I’m pretty sure of that!
And, yeah, I don’t like to speak too much in the future, like I said, like you already noticed, but I would just encourage everyone that comes to Anfield for the remaining games of the season to wear red. Come in red, or come with all-red, make it a red Anfield, because also that would look incredible, and make as much noise as you can. And then you will enjoy it even more than you already should do, in my opinion.”
“Well, I know you’re delighted today, but you’ve made so many Liverpool fans’ day, so, huge congratulations, Virgil.”
Source: raialkhalij + aljazeera