Virgil van Dijk delivered two messages after Liverpool’s win over Everton, one of which was a heartfelt tribute to teammate Mohamed Salah. Van Dijk and Salah both found the back of the net as the Reds cruised to a 2-1 victory in the Merseyside derby on Sunday afternoon.
As a result, Liverpool remain in fifth place in the Premier League standings, with a seven-point gap over sixth-placed Chelsea with five games remaining. Arne Slott’s side currently have a commanding lead in the race for Champions League qualification, with Van Dijk’s stoppage-time header at the Hill Dickinson Stadium proving decisive for Liverpool.
Van Dijk then shared a two-word message on Instagram following Liverpool’s derby win.
“The Reds!” Van Dijk proudly posted on Instagram to his 17.3 million followers.
Salah’s goal also came in his final Merseyside derby appearance for Liverpool before leaving the club this summer.
The Egyptian player shared his reaction on Instagram, publishing a wordless post with a series of images of himself celebrating alongside the away supporters.
Van Dijk was asked about Salah in his post-match interview and the skipper praised his team-mate and paid an “emotional” tribute to Salah.
“Many words will come out of my mouth about him in the coming weeks, but he is very important for us on and off the pitch,” Van Dijk told Sky Sports on Salah.
“Sometimes when players leave you show your gratitude, but we are very grateful to him. He is a great teammate.
“We’ve been through everything together, the good and the bad, and he’s important for the remaining five games we have to play.
“It’s definitely going to be emotional for him and his family, but it’s going to be emotional for us as well, because he obviously means a lot to me, to the team and to the fans. But first of all, we still have work to do. He knows that. That’s the main focus.”
Liverpool currently have five Premier League games left to secure a top-five finish, which could be enough to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
The Reds face Crystal Palace at Anfield on Saturday, before facing Manchester United, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Brentford before the end of the season.
