Van Dijk Reflects On Liverpool Changes in 2024 and Wants More in 2025
Yesterday at 09:08 AM
Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk wants to build on the foundations of 2024 as he captains his side into the new year.
With the Premier League hitting the mid-way mark of the 2024-25 season today and Liverpool sat top of the league table as they head into their Boxing Day match at Anfield against struggling Leicester City, it's a time to reflect and look ahead.
The year started with a rebuilt Liverpool side pushing their way into the mix in a title race led by Manchester City and Arsenal under Jürgen Klopp. It ends with them as leaders with Chelsea chasing under a new head coach in Arne Slot. A lot has changed. Just not the part where the Reds are in the mix for titles and trophies.
"We experienced a lot of change within the club this year," reflected club captain Virgil van Dijk, who hoisted the League Cup last season and now looks to lead his teammates into a new calendar year at the head of the Premier League pack and as the only perfect side in the Champions League.
"With the departure of Jürgen Klopp and his coaching staff and the arrival of Arne Slot and his team that was obviously a big thing for us, especially those of us who have been here for a number of years and have shared so many highs and lows.
"There were certainly a few emotional moments as we said our goodbyes at the end of last season. Life goes on, however, and so does football, and we are all really enjoying the new era under the new head coach. The way we have started this season has been extremely pleasing."
Pleasing and a credit to everyone involved, from the players and support staff through to the new head coach and his team—and the former manager and his team who built this side up and then re-built it to a place where a new manager could come in and compete from day one.
For all the good work so far in the 2024-25 season, though, nothing is won at the mid-way point of any season. Liverpool have given themselves a platform to work with; a chance to do something truly memorable. In 2025, they'll look to stick the landing.
"To be where we are," Van Dijk added, "doing well in the Premier League and Champions League with another Carabao Cup semi-final to look forward to, is testament both to the work put in by Arne and his staff, the quality of the squad we have assembled, and the mentality and culture which was created under Jürgen.
"We know that there is still a long way to go in the season, of course, and we certainly won't be taking anything for granted, but we know that we have given ourselves a platform from which to build."
