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Defensive ace reveals who will replace him in the Liverpool squad 

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By Surajit Das

Virgil van Dijk has revealed his replacement in the Liverpool squad 

According to the official Liverpool youtube channel (h/t Mirror), Virgil van Dijk has suggested that Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez will take his place in the future. 

The Dutchman has been one of the key reasons for Liverpool’s recent success. Van Dijk has been the soul of Jurgen Klopp’s rearguard and has ushered in a new era of defensive solidity at Anfield.

His absence last season put the German manager in an uncomfortable situation. But he has made his comeback this season and has been rock solid in the back. The 30-year-old centre-back has made 19 appearances across all competitions this season. 

Van Dijk is currently in self-isolation after returning a positive test for the Coronavirus. This saw him miss the weekend’s clash against Tottenham Hotspur. Van Dijk isn’t getting any younger, and Klopp would have to find a successor for him soon. 

Virgil van Dijk has revealed his replacement in the Liverpool squad .  (imago Images)
Ibrahima Konate in action for Liverpool during a pre-season friendly against Osasuna. (imago Images)

Van Dijk has made the task easy for the German manager by naming who’d take his place in the Reds squad. 

While talking with the patients of Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, the Dutch defender pointed towards Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez and suggested that they would become his successors in the future. 

“These two are gonna take my place at one place though.”

Virgil van Dijk has revealed his replacement in the Liverpool squad .
Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez in action for Liverpool.

In the absence of Van Dijk, Konate took the responsibility to cover the backline against Tottenham. The former Leipzig defender failed to defend Harry Kane in the first half, leading to Spurs’ first goal. But that doesn’t convey his overall performance, which has been pretty good overall.

The French centre back is making a name for himself and has risen in the pecking order of late. Surely the best is yet to come. 

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In contrast, after returning from injury, Joe Gomez has lost his position in the team and struggling with a lack of game times. At times, Klopp has asked him to remain calm, but it’d be difficult to keep hold of him without a considerable amount of game time on the table.