Liverpool defender Joe Gomez highlights the impact of Virgil van Dijk while branding his legacy, one for the history books
Liverpool defender Joe Gomez emphasized the importance of his “big brother” Virgil van Dijk on his career. The Englishman further highlighted that the Liverpool captain is surely going down in the history books for his legacy.
Gomez is enjoying a resurrection of his career this season under Jurgen Klopp’s “Liverpool 2.0” after struggling last season. His struggles coincided with the struggle of the club due to many long-serving players ageing past their peak years.
Klopp used the summer window to reshape the Reds’ midfield after signing new attackers in past windows. The 56-year-old appointed Van Dijk as the new Liverpool captain to guide the newly built squad in the 2023-24 season.
Van Dijk himself faced criticism last season with experts believing that he has lost his prime since his ACL injury. The Dutch captain suffered an ACL injury in the 2020-21 season after a vicious challenge from Everton’s goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
Returning from the injury, Van Dijk grappled with acclimating to his “new knee”. Nevertheless, the 32-year-old has played a pivotal role in Liverpool’s success this season, leading the new team in every competition.
Van Dijk’s performances are at par, if not better, than the ones he delivered before the ACL injuries. Whoscored reported that Virgil van Dijk tops the chart for the most aerial duel won (85) in the Premier League.
Gomez told We Are Liverpool Podcast (h/t YouTube) that Van Dijk has already written his name in football history. He said:
“It’s apparent he’s like a big brother to me. I think since he came, to this point, he’s been a massive part of my journey, on and off the pitch. He’s obviously going to go down, I think, in the history books, isn’t he? What he’s done and his ability and how he has transcended that now to being a leader and the captain of the team, it’s massive. And I’ll definitely look back and reflect on having a chance to be in a team with people like Virg and like Mo, but for me having Virg as a centre half and learning from him constantly, indirectly and directly, it’s been massive.”
The 26-year-old further explained the impact Van Dijk has had in Gomez’s career so far. He said:
“I have taken so many little nuggets and ways of dealing with games and defending from him. And then more than anything just getting on well with him as a person, we like some similar things and it’s been nice to go through this journey with him.”
More Liverpool News!
- Jamie Carragher outlines key aspect in which Liverpool star excels over other club legends
- Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp praised Alexis Mac Allister and his stats against Bournemouth showed exactly why
- Liverpool star Darwin Nunez continues to produce goals and assists despite his naysayers moaning about him being wasteful
Van Dijk is the perfect role model for the likes of Gomez, Ibrahima Konate and Jarell Quansah. Nevertheless, the 32-year-old has a lot of time to carve more legacy at Anfield, now as the captain of Liverpool.
