The Liverpool captain pays tribute to his former team-mate and his achievements at his boyhood club, but says the England defender is now just an opponent.
Virgil van Dijk says Liverpool are determined to “make things very difficult” for Trent Alexander-Arnold when he returns to Anfield. Arne Slott’s side face Real Madrid in the Champions League, but the Spanish giants are likely to keep Alexander-Arnold on the bench.
The England full-back joined Liverpool as a boy and went on to make 353 appearances for the club. However, Alexander-Arnold was booed by Liverpool fans after announcing he would leave Anfield before the end of last season.
If he were to step onto the pitch against a team from the slot, it would not be the warmest of welcomes for the local youngster, even though he won the Champions League, two Premier Leagues, the FA Cup and the EFL Cup with Liverpool. And his former captain believes there would be little emotion involved if he were to face Alexander-Arnold.
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Van Dijk explained: “I think Trent is a high-quality player. He showed it many times. He is a very talented player and has been an important part of us for many years. I was very happy to have him in the team.”
“We’ve been very successful, but now he’s our opponent on Tuesday. If he’s going to play, we have to make it very difficult for him to do what he’s good at.”
Alexander-Arnold has kept in touch with some of his former team-mates, but Van Dijk was not one of them. Asked if he still speaks to the 27-year-old defender, he said: “Not really, no.”
“There’s nothing personal. Obviously, I’m living my life and he’s living his life in Madrid.”
And when asked on Tuesday night if he hoped the atmosphere would be hostile for Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk said: “I’m not going to comment on that. I think he was outstanding at Liverpool and that’s the only thing I can say.”
When pressed if he thought it was hostile, he simply said, “Let’s take a look.” After facing Real Madrid, Liverpool travel to Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday.
“Then I want to go to the national team and hopefully also qualify for the World Cup, which is a few weeks away,” Van Dijk said. Van Dijk reflected on his old self during last weekend’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa at Anfield.
It was Liverpool’s first clean sheet since mid-September, and manager Van Dijk hopes it will mean a consistent return to the top flight. He said: “There’s still a lot of football to play and a lot of things to focus on.
“Even if you’re winning the game, stay focused on the game in front of you. Stay fit, stay in shape and perform when you play.”
“And every three or four days, you have an opportunity to do that. By the next day, and by March or something, you’ll know where you are.”
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