Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has claimed his recent comments about his future at Anfield were exaggerated and he remains 100 per cent committed to the club; the winter transfer window closes on Thursday at 11pm in England and 11.30pm in Scotland
Wednesday 31 January 2024 18:11, UK
Virgil van Dijk has claimed his recent comments about his Liverpool future were "taken out of context" and he remains 100 per cent committed to the club.
Following Jurgen Klopp's shock announcement on Friday he was leaving Liverpool, Van Dijk was asked whether he saw himself being part of the next era at the club next season.
At the time, the Liverpool captain appeared non committal, saying: "That's a big question. I don't know."
However, Van Dijk has since clarified his comments, saying in an exclusive interview with Sky in Germany: "It is much taken out of context.
"To be 100 per cent clear, I am fully committed to the club. I love the club, I love the fans. It is fully taken out of context.
"It is not about me, it is not about I, it is about us, nothing has changed. Five days ago we weren't even speaking about my contract, so it's a bit silly. My full focus is on making sure this year is a very special year.
"It was obviously a big announcement the last couple of days, it's been a big shock to each one of us connected to the club.
"I have been feeling exactly what the fans have been feeling in that exact moment. But, we mean business here.
"We want to crack on, we want to achieve the things that we dreamed of at the start of the season. We are in a good position, so let's give it our all.
"But, like I said already in the start, don't get it twisted. I am fully committed to the club and I love it. I love each and every second. I am the captain and we are going to go for it all and let's see how that goes.
"He is just a human being, he is a bit of a father for us as the squad, he has been that steady figure for so many years and it is going to be strange not having him next season.
"But I do not want to speak too much about it because we are still in the mix of it, still focused on things we want to achieve."
Klopp announced on Friday that he is leaving Liverpool at the end of the season because he is "running out of energy".
The winter transfer window is open and will close at 11pm in England and 11.30pm in Scotland on Thursday February 1.
To ensure harmonisation with the major leagues in Europe, the closing dates were set following discussions with the EFL, DFL, Serie A, LaLiga, and LFP, who will all close their summer and winter windows on 1 September and 1 February respectively.
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms, while you can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News, including daily transfer shows, and listen to our Transfer Talk podcast.
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