Van Dijk on criticism of Liverpool: 'I can understand it

Due to the fifth-place finish, Liverpool has to settle for 'only' Europa League football this season. 'I can certainly understand the negativity in some aspects, but I'm not a negative person. However, of course, many players are leaving, your captain and vice-captain are leaving... And at the moment, there are only two new players,' Van Dijk tells the BBC.

'And the way we played, very good in possession but defensively not so good, then I can understand that some people have doubts. It's going to be very tough looking at the teams around us, but we want to be at the top again, we want to challenge again. We need to have confidence, be self-assured, and learn every day. Players have left, players who played a big role in our success, but others need to step up.'

That's why Van Dijk is actually looking forward to it. 'In my opinion, that's a nice challenge. We should be excited. I'm very excited, so let's give it a try.