'I feel at home here' - Van Dijk signs new Liverpool deal till 2025
Stefan Bienkowski
- Updated: 13 Aug 2021 10:22 BST
- 3 min read
Liverpool central defender Virgil Van Dijk has committed his future to the club by signing a new four-year deal.
The 30-year-old talent made the move to Anfield in 2018 when he joined from Southampton for a record fee of £75 million.
Since then the Netherlands international has established himself as one of the very best central defenders in European football.
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Van Dijk’s importance to Jurgen Klopp’s side was underlined last season, when a nasty injury ruled the defender out for the duration of the season and subsequently saw Liverpool tumble down the Premier League table.
As such, the club have clearly felt a necessity to extend Van Dijk’s contract at Liverpool beyond its previous terms, which could have seen the defender leave in 2023.
And, clearly, Van Dijk was more than happy to oblige Liverpool’s demands and commit his future to the English giants.
He’s 𝑶𝑼𝑹 centre-half ✊
The story continues… @VirgilvDijk 🤩 pic.twitter.com/bQInOG1ba2— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 13, 2021
’I feel at home at Liverpool’
"Since day one when I joined the club, I felt so much appreciation from the fans and from my teammates and the staff, that I could be a very important member of this football club," said Van Dijk in a statement on the club website.
"It has been going well; unfortunately last season for me personally has been a season to forget, to learn from and take with me, but I have enjoyed my time here and will keep enjoying it in the next couple of years altogether with all of you.
"It didn't take too long to feel like that [at home], to be fair, with the help of my teammates, especially in the beginning, the staff and especially the fans, how they have welcomed me from the start.
"Where I am today, how I feel today, is [as] a very senior, important player for the team and for the club. That's just a fantastic feeling and why I definitely feel at home here."
