Why Van Dijk and Salah are as valuable off the field as on it for Liverpool

New York Times

19-04-2025

Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have many things in common but there is one similarity that is often overlooked — the off-field value both players bring to Liverpool is as difficult to replace as their on-field performance.
Granted, their brand appeal, intelligence, instantly recognisable looks and authenticity will not fire Arne Slot's team to a Premier League title. But combine all that with unrivalled matchday qualities and it is clear why Liverpool are in a better place by keeping the pair on board.
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Not only are Van Dijk and Salah, who both signed two-year contract extensions this month, clearly good enough to continue competing at the highest level, but their off-field reach and influence are also becoming more valuable to the Liverpool brand.
Although no player is bigger or more important than the club itself, the impact of these superstar players certainly helps.
Take Salah, for example. He has 101.4 million social media followers and, according to figures from ProDataStack — a service that pulls together performance metrics and useful extras such as social media reach and sentiment — the Egyptian's total audience has already topped two billion people in this calendar year through digital mentions.
On the day of his new contract announcement, Salah was mentioned 151,000 times across social media platforms as he reached an audience of 121.3 million people and generated 5.6 million interactions in the space of 24 hours alone.
This is a player so good that tourists travel from across the globe to see him in action. He transcends football similarly to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, not least with a growing number of younger fans increasingly following idols ahead of specific teams.
The figures, meanwhile, are especially significant given Liverpool have not been shy to share the recent news of their own growth. A club with a strong and proud image, it was revealed last month that they are the most discussed in the Premier League, with more than one billion engagements on social media recorded this season.
Liverpool also lead the way on all major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X and TikTok, while YouTube subscriptions stand at 11.2million — but helping them on the way are these two big-name players.
Although Salah was criticised for picking his moments to talk publicly about his contract negotiations, it was always clear that he wanted to remain at Liverpool and there were never any signs of letting the hold-up affect his performance or enthusiasm.
Van Dijk, meanwhile, continued to speak to reporters after every game — win, lose or draw — and handled himself with class and dignity throughout. Never once did he slip up with his words — another reason he is a huge asset to Liverpool. He is as reliable and trustworthy as they come.
Marketing experts consulted for this article say that Salah and Van Dijk's clean image is a major benefit for Liverpool.
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'Both players represent long-term brand safety — remaining scandal-free throughout their careers, which is rare at the top level,' says Stevyn Monaghan of the creative sports marketing agency Ear to the Ground. 'They are known as consummate professionals; reliable, easy to work with, and committed to campaign success.
'They also embody Liverpool's community values, from Salah supporting local girls' teams to Van Dijk taking time out to speak with Sean Cox (the Liverpool supporter left with life-changing injuries after he was assaulted by a Roma fan in April 2018) and his family at a recent home game.'
Van Dijk may not carry the same immediate appeal as Salah because of his position on the pitch. He is a defender who cuts out goals rather than scoring them, but his personality, affable ways and commanding presence stand out as he has redefined the way a centre-half operates.
No captain in the Premier League is as dominant and demanding as the Netherlands international. He leads with his voice and runs the dressing room, as well as acting as the conduit between the squad and the coaching team.
So it is no surprise that Liverpool use Van Dijk front and centre of their promotional activities.
On the Anfield Stadium Tour, attended by hundreds, sometimes thousands, every day, the skipper welcomes every new guest into the arena via a video message. From music and underwear to alcohol-free beer, he has brands bending over backwards to partner with him. Youth audiences respond to Van Dijk as he moves across culture, from football to fashion and music, and that has a knock-on effect to the club he represents.
'Van Dijk is not the type of guy just to take a pay cheque from brands to endorse them — he actually has skin in the game,' says Ged Colleypriest, a sponsorship expert and consultant. 'He's interested in business and bits away from football. He's cool in appearance and a really safe bet from a marketing point of view. Brands want to be associated with him because he's elite, he's a winner.
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'For Liverpool, the benefit of having Van Dijk and Salah around is all down to their longevity. With Salah turning down money from the Saudi Pro League, it reflects well on the club as they're able to sell the 'club legend' status.'
Another two years with the key players on board will continue to boost Liverpool's commercial operation as partners want to be associated with the best players in the world.
With 45 goal involvements (goals and assists) in 2024-25, Salah is the most creative player in the Premier League by some distance and Van Dijk, an ever-present this season, has reaffirmed himself as the best defender on the planet through his consistent form this term.
It's Salah, though, who really elevates Liverpool with his global reach and ability to open the gateway to the Arab world.
'He's the biggest name and best footballer, potentially ever, from the Middle East and African territories and, while the Premier League may be based in England, the number of football fans in those regions far exceed the amount of Premier League followers in the U.K.,' says Dan Connor, co-owner of And The New, a creative-digital sports marketing agency that has delivered campaigns in the Middle East.
'Salah is the king in those parts of the world and provides a huge gateway for Liverpool to speak to and monetise huge fan bases internationally.
'A significant portion of Liverpool's digital success will be down to Salah (the most followed Premier League footballer on Instagram with 18 million more followers than his club) and, over time, the quality of his reach will help considerably when placing valuations on assets.'
A post shared by Mohamed Salah (@mosalah)
More figures from ProDataStack's 'sentiment rating' also show that Salah continues to be discussed positively online.
The 32-year-old's net sentiment (rising to a maximum of 100) has been ranked as positive every day this year and rose from +59 on average in March to +77 this month. When people talk about Salah, they think of Liverpool. He sells the most shirts, and commands the most attention.
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The beauty of these figures is that they show a daily rating so, if there's a clear change in the sentiment, it can be easily traced back to the actions of the player on that given day.
Founder Fiona Green says: 'It is only very recently that we have started to see athletes and their agents appreciate, and start to actively leverage, the value of their off-field personas through data. Fusing on-field and off-field data to first measure, and then improve, the value of the athlete's personal brand.'
The way Salah uses his social media channels to engage with his audience helps.
Van Dijk is far less active and 'only' has 19.4 million followers. Yet his daily sentiment has also increased this month from +66 to +78, largely because of the positive noise around his contract extension.
As worldwide influencers, Van Dijk and Salah have never lost touch with what matters the most, though. Football always comes first — before brand deals, off-field activities and personal life commitments. It is ultimately what has set the pair aside for so long.
But having that extra appeal only enhances their legendary status.