Virgil van Dijk denies Liverpool 'future' claim - and explains what's going to get 'very tricky'

Virgil Van Dijk

Virgil van Dijk has denied the Liverpool squad are playing for their futures between now and the end of the season.

And the skipper has challenged his team-mates to block out the "noise" ahead of Saturday's visit from Newcastle United.

The Reds beat Qarabag on Wednesday night 6-0 to secure their biggest margin of victory since Arne Slot arrived at Anfield in the summer of 2024 to book their place in the last-16 of the Champions League, where they will meet one of Galatasaray, Juventus, Atletico Madrid or Club Brugge.

It is at domestic level where the defending Premier League champions have struggled, however, with last week's 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth - a game that saw them concede in stoppage time for a fifth time this season - their seventh of the term to date.

Twelve months ago, the then leaders had only been beaten once and Slot and his players have come under fire as a result of their inconsistencies.

And as Van Dijk and his colleagues aim to secure their first league win of 2026 when Eddie Howe's men visit Merseyside this weekend, he rejected the notion that several in the squad now have to perform to avoid being sold this summer transfer window.

Van Dijk

"I don't know who's playing for their future, but I think that the reality is some players are running out of contract,"

"Some players are still having a year [left] after this, like myself. But we have to see how the season goes and how it's going to end.

“Hopefully it's successful, but it's not about players playing to keep their jobs, in my opinion. I still think we have very, very good players, and today (Wednesday) showed as well, we played well.

"It's going to be a totally different game in the weekend again but we still have to do it, and show a reaction to a disappointing night (at Bournemouth) where a lot of noise came our way. Well deserved, of course, but it's not easy.

"I don't know who said (we're not equipped for the Premier League), but I'm not going to guess because the thing for me is anyone can say whatever they want.

“The difficulties that we're having at the moment is that we don't have the consistency. We can't, so far, build enough on good performances that we have during this season.

“That's something we work on, it's something we have to improve. I think we are well equipped to deal with the demands of the Premier League.

"If you look at the team today (against Qarabag), we are in a situation where we have to be creative and obviously have youngsters also who want to make this step up as well and get the opportunities like today as well.

“So it's a combination of everything, and we just have to keep going.”

"Listen, I think everyone deals with (criticism) differently, so I can deal with it in a certain way. A lot of players can deal with it in a certain way, as well. I think certain things about it, but I will keep that to myself for now.

“The only thing I feel is the responsibility to perform. So, when I came home, after that (Bournemouth) game, I was obviously very disappointed. I felt very responsible for the difficult night that we had.

"But the responsibility I feel is to turn it around, and be the best version of myself again, in this game, and recover now, and then try to do the same in the weekend, because that's what everyone expects from me.

"I don't need to use that (criticism) personally as fuel, to be honest. I feel that I have a responsibility to the club, to the players, to perform, to be there, to be fit, to be at my best, and to lead the team.

"I know what comes with it if we don't perform, if I don't have a good moment or a good game, and that's just part and parcel.

“But I'm a human being, and all the other players that played in the past also have been through their phases, and came out of it pretty well in my opinion so we just keep going."

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