Virgil van Dijk on what he’s doing to ‘help the atmosphere’ and ‘set the tone’ before Liverpool games

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LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 30: Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool reacts during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 30, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Virgil van Dijk has revealed the one thing that he’s introduced before games which informs Liverpool supporters that the team are ‘ready to go’.

Since replacing Jordan Henderson as club captain in the summer our No. 4 has opted to bring in a team huddle moments before kick off in an attempt to ‘set the tone for the game’.

The Netherlands international revealed that team huddles were something he was involved in during his time at Celtic and they are something that he believes can ‘help the atmosphere’ inside the ground.

“It was something that we did when I was a Celtic player,” Van Dijk told Liverpool Echo. “And I always liked it because I thought it set the tone for the game and it also gave the crowd a signal that we were ready to go.

“It can also help the atmosphere with it being so close to the match starting, so if our fans want to join in by building up the noise and adding to the sense of anticipation I certainly won’t complain, even if it makes it difficult for me to make myself heard.”

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It felt natural for van Dijk to be named the new Liverpool skipper once Henderson’s departure at the end of last season.

The 32-year-old is a hugely important part of Jurgen Klopp’s squad and was already the skipper of the Dutch national side.

He’s a born leader and it’s nice to see him putting his own stamp on the team with subtle changes such as this one.

The former Southampton man has been in superb form so far this term and long may that continue as we attempt to pick up more silverware this term!

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