logo
'The idea of lifting trophy in front supporters at Anfield is something special': Virgil Van Dijk

'The idea of lifting trophy in front supporters at Anfield is something special': Virgil Van Dijk

Hans India25-05-2025

Virgil van Dijk intends to savour every second at Anfield on Sunday and wants Liverpool supporters to do exactly the same.
The Reds captain will get his hands on the Premier League trophy at the conclusion of the season finale against Crystal Palace.
It has been 35 years since Liverpool lifted the league trophy in front of the Anfield supporters, with the stadium empty due to Covid celebrations in 2020, and Van Dijk is eager to see everyone involved cherish them.
"This is the day we have all been waiting for, and one that each and every one of us has to savour, from first minute until last. I know I have been looking forward to this ever since we were confirmed as Premier League champions last month, and I'm sure you guys have been exactly the same.
"There have been a few celebrations over the last few weeks, as you know, but the idea of being at Anfield and lifting that trophy in front of all our supporters? That's something different. It's something special.
"Having been denied this in 2020, we all have a duty to make the most of this opportunity, and to make it the most happy and joyful experience possible. We have to enjoy these moments because these are the things we work for every single day," Van Dijk wrote in the matchday programme.
After the clash with Palace finishes, the players and staff will go back to the dressing room while a stage is constructed on the pitch for the official presentation.
Any individual end-of-season Premier League awards would be presented on the pitch after the full-time, with Mohamed Salah aiming to win both the Golden Boot and Playmaker prizes.
Liverpool will then come and receive their winner's medals before a lap of honour will begin towards the Kop after the trophy lift.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Replace Trent, add new ‘weapon' Wirtz, future-proof squad: Liverpool's summer tasks
Replace Trent, add new ‘weapon' Wirtz, future-proof squad: Liverpool's summer tasks

The Hindu

time4 hours ago

  • The Hindu

Replace Trent, add new ‘weapon' Wirtz, future-proof squad: Liverpool's summer tasks

When Arne Slot took the reins at Liverpool last year, his task was spelt out clearly by the club's bosses. 'The main aim in what they told me is look at the players, give your opinion about it so we can go into this project in the second and the third year,' Slot said recently. But under the Dutchman's guidance, the Merseyside club clinched a record-equalling 20th English league title ahead of schedule, capitalising on Manchester City's sudden and unexpected fall. Slot inherited a squad that had been built by Jurgen Klopp on four elite pillars — goalkeeper Alisson, centre-back Virgil van Dijk, right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold and winger Mohamed Salah — and honed it into a serious contender. Minor tweaks Slot opted for refinement over revolution in the short term. After signing just Federico Chiesa, nominally Salah's back-up, in last year's summer transfer window, he only made minor tweaks to Klopp's counterpressing, transition-heavy game-model. It did help Slot that Salah had a historic, age-defying season — his 47 goal involvements (29 goals, 18 assists) are a record — but the manager's patient, steadying influence merits a great deal of praise. Now, ahead of the 2025-26 season, Slot has the opportunity to stamp his mark on Liverpool. Right through the season, there were questions surrounding the futures of Klopp's pillars. Alexander-Arnold, Salah and van Dijk were all out of contract this summer while Alisson endured an injury-hit campaign. There is greater clarity around these situations now — as a result, there is no ambiguity about Liverpool's priorities this summer. With Alexander-Arnold moving to Real Madrid, Slot has to devise a way to replace a unicorn profile. Salah, soon to be 33, and van Dijk, soon to be 34, have signed short-term extensions, and so the need to future-proof the squad is paramount. And given how small the margins in the Premier League are, Liverpool also has to strengthen its core group with a level-raiser or two. 'I think we can find one or two extra weapons this team doesn't have,' Slot said. 'Maybe, by using the transfer market. That is what we are trying to achieve. That will only make us stronger. That is what we need because we saw City spending £200m in the [January] transfer window. All of them will. Apart from the transfer window, we can also improve certain aspects ourselves.' The early signs from Liverpool's activity in the market suggest that it will be a summer to remember. The club moved quickly to sign Netherlands right-back Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen, triggering a release clause reported to be between 35 and 40 million euros. Liverpool also managed to recover about 10 million euros of Frimpong's price from the transfer of Alexander-Arnold, whom the club feared it might lose for nothing. But Madrid's desire to sign the Englishman in time for the Club World Cup meant Liverpool could extract a fee for letting him go before his contract expired at the end of June. Although both Alexander-Arnold and Frimpong are attack-minded right-backs, the latter isn't a like-for-like replacement. Alexander-Arnold's supreme vision and passing ability were cheat-codes. He could kill an opposition press with a sublime ball over the top, start transitions from Liverpool's box after defending a corner with a line-breaking pass and deliver unstoppable, pinpoint crosses from the right half-space in settled possession. Creative solutions Given how unique Alexander-Arnold's gifts are, Liverpool knows it can't find another player of his type and quality in the market. So it's replacing the threat he carries in other ways. Frimpong is not an incisive long-passer, but he is an excellent dribbler, ball-carrier and runner into space — in fact, Netherlands played him as an out-and-out winger in the Nations League playoffs. One of Leverkusen's stars in its unbeaten 2023-24 Bundesliga campaign, Frimpong played as a wing-back under Xabi Alonso and offers Slot the option of switching to a 3-5-2. The 24-year-old's goal-threat and penetrative potential in a wing partnership with Salah should offer Liverpool a new offensive dynamic in the upcoming season. A player who could add a completely different dimension to the Reds attack is Frimpong's Leverkusen teammate Florian Wirtz, one of the best players of his generation and perhaps the biggest name on the market this window. The 22-year-old, who emerged as one of the most highly-rated young playmakers in Europe after helping Leverkusen end Bayern Munich's monopoly last year, is the sort of level-raising talent that helps win trophies. Both athlete and technician, Wirtz is capable of producing match-defining moments with a creative through-ball, a line-eliminating dribble or a goal out of nowhere. He is also an exceptional associative player, adept at knitting play together, quickening tempo and making runs to stretch the defence and fashion space for his teammates. It's no surprise, therefore, that he also attracted interest from Bayern and City, but it is believed he made it clear to Leverkusen that he wants to join Liverpool. A deal won't be cheap, as the Reds found out when their reported bid of 130 million euros (including add-ons) was turned down. But Liverpool has significant financial headroom, having kept its powder dry last season, and Wirtz is in the top-tier of talent that justifies such a heavy outlay. Wirtz could also mitigate, to some degree, any drop-off Salah suffers. While Liverpool will have to find replacements for Salah and van Dijk, it has bought itself time at least until next summer because of the contract extensions. But with forwards Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz expected to move and centre-back Ibrahima Konate yet to extend a contract that expires next year, the club will be on the lookout for smart deals in attack and defence, should they emerge this summer. Liverpool will also have an eye on central midfield, which could do with bolstering. Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister were able to consistently produce a high level last season, but they played a lot of minutes. A versatile midfielder who can deputise for both will offer Slot more options to rotate next season. Liverpool is also looking to add talent at left-back, with Bournemouth's impressive Milos Kerkez tipped to make the move to Merseyside. Succession planning One position that the club has already future-proofed is goalkeeper. Caoimhin Kelleher's departure, in a deal with Brentford that could reportedly rise to £18 million, makes room for Giorgi Mamardashvili, a 6'6' shot-stopping giant who is set to understudy Alisson before eventually becoming the Reds' No. 1 goalkeeper. Liverpool agreed a deal with the Georgian last year, but he spent the season at Valencia as he waited to shift to Anfield. 'Whatever happens in terms of players going out, players coming in, I think it should be a big summer,' said captain van Dijk. 'I think they're planning to make it a big summer, so we all have to trust the board to do the right job. We shouldn't forget the quality that the Premier League possesses. It's incredible how everyone can beat everyone. We must strengthen 100 percent.'

Jorginho leaves Arsenal, signs for Flamengo before Club World Cup
Jorginho leaves Arsenal, signs for Flamengo before Club World Cup

The Hindu

time7 hours ago

  • The Hindu

Jorginho leaves Arsenal, signs for Flamengo before Club World Cup

Italian midfielder Jorginho has joined Brazilian side Flamengo ahead of this month's Club World Cup, following a mutual termination of his contract with Arsenal, both clubs said. Jorginho, whose Arsenal deal was set to expire at the end of the month, has joined Flamengo on a contract until July 2028. The 33-year-old Brazil-born Italy international moved to North London from Chelsea in January 2023, making 78 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal. Arsenal finished second to champions Liverpool in the Premier League in the recently-concluded season. 'We can confirm that we have reached a mutual agreement with Jorginho to end his contract with immediate effect to become a free agent,' Arsenal said in a statement late on Friday. Having started his career at Italian side Hellas Verona before switching to Napoli in 2014, Jorginho won the Champions League, Europa League, Super Cup and Club World Cup titles during his time at Chelsea. Capped 57 times for Italy, he won the European Championship in 2020. ALSO READ: Meet Franco Mastantuono — Real Madrid's latest wonderkid target from Argentina 'Jorginho's first assignment with Flamengo will be at the Club World Cup,' the Brazilian Serie A club said. Flamengo will begin its Club World Cup campaign against Tunisian side ES Tunis on June 16 in Philadelphia. The expanded 32-team Club World Cup runs from June 14 to July 13 in the United States with $1 billion in prize money at stake.

This Week in Explainers: How RCB's victory was marred by stampede
This Week in Explainers: How RCB's victory was marred by stampede

First Post

time9 hours ago

  • First Post

This Week in Explainers: How RCB's victory was marred by stampede

After a wait of 18 years, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) lifted its maiden IPL trophy. However, the celebrations turned into horror after 11 people died and several others were injured in a stampede as a sea of fans gathered outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru to mark the team's win. All this and more in our weekly wrap read more An ambulance arrives at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium as fans gather to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru cricketers, winners of the Indian Premier League, in Bengaluru, June 4, 2025. AP It was a grim week for India. A celebratory event turned into horror as 11 people died in a stampede in Karnataka's Bengaluru. The tragedy occurred when a sea of fans gathered outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium to mark the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) maiden IPL trophy. India will hold its census after more than 15 years in two phases, beginning in 2026. The last population enumeration was done in 2011, with the next slated for 2021. However, it was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Jammu and Kashmir's Chenab bridge has been unveiled. The engineering marvel, which will connect the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India, is seen as a big strategic boost for India. Here's all this and more in our weekly roundup from India. 1. RCB lifted the IPL trophy on Tuesday night, ending the wait of 18 years. The elation of fans of Virat Kohli and the team knew no bounds. They were out on the streets in several cities, especially Bengaluru, to celebrate the hard-won victory. A day after RCB defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the IPL final, a victory march was organised in Bengaluru to felicitate the players. However, chaos erupted as lakhs of people gathered outside the M Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium to catch a glimpse of their favourite team. Eleven people died and over 40 others were injured in the stampede that broke out on Wednesday. Soon, questions emerged about organising the event when Karnataka authorities were not prepared to handle such a huge crowd. As the blame game began, Karnataka Chief Minister K Siddaramaiah suspended senior police officers. Nikhil Sosale, who heads marketing and revenue at RCB, has been arrested in the stampede case. But why? We take a look here . STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 2. The Centre has announced the dates for the forthcoming census. The first phase of the population enumeration will begin in October 2026 for the snowy states and Union Territories of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. The second phase will be conducted for the rest of the country with the reference date of March 1, 2027. This time, the counting of population will also entail a caste enumeration. The decennial census was last held in 2011. Why has it been delayed since 2021? Read our story to know more. 3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Chenab rail bridge , which is the world's highest railway arch bridge. A part of the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, the bridge is expected to boost connectivity and economy in Jammu and Kashmir. Rising boldly across the mountains, the Chenab Rail Bridge showcases design ingenuity and structural mastery. It will deepen connectivity, thus boosting trade, commerce and tourism. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 6, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Built at a cost of about Rs 1,400 crore between Bakkal and Kauri in J&K's Reasi district, the Chenab bridge is 1,315 metres long. Standing high at 359 metres (1,178 feet) above the Chenab riverbed, it is taller than the Paris' Eiffel Tower. We explain why this bridge could be a game-changer for India . 4. A couple from Madhya Pradesh's Indore travelled to Meghalaya last month for their honeymoon. However, their joy turned into tragedy after it came to light that the couple had gone missing after leaving their homestay in Nongriat village in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district. As the search began for Sonam and her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, the husband's body was found in a deep gorge close to a waterfall in Sohra. His wife remains missing even after weeks. Police have now recovered a black raincoat that could belong to the young woman. Will it finally lead to Sonam? We take a look in this story . STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 5. A Pakistani businesswoman has been linked to the Indian YouTubers arrested in espionage cases. The name of Naushaba Shahzad Masood, who runs a 'travel agency' in Lahore, emerged during the interrogation of social media influencers arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan. Pakistani travel agent Naushaba Shahzad Masood is linked to spying activities in India. News18 India Known as 'Madam N' by Pakistan's spy agency – the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Masood facilitated the visit of several Indians, including YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, to her country. The Haryana-based influencer was arrested weeks ago. Now, the Punjab Police's State Special Operations Cell (SSOC) has arrested another YouTuber, Jasbir Singh , for his alleged involvement in a Pakistan-backed espionage ring. Here is our report on them. 6. A young social media influencer shot to the limelight after she was arrested by the West Bengal Police for her alleged communal remarks while accusing Bollywood celebrities, particularly Muslim stars, of being silent on Operation Sindoor. The arrest of Sharmishta Panoli , a fourth-year law student in Pune, sparked political outrage, with BJP leaders calling for her release. Wajahat Khan, whose complaint led to the arrest of the Instagram influencer, was also booked Kolkata Police. But why? We take a look in this report . STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This is all we have for you this week. If you like how we explain news, you can bookmark this page.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store