Virgil van Dijk has admitted that he was sad to see Jordan Henderson leave this summer, with the midfielder departing for Saudi Arabia.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, the defender revealed that the England international’s move to the Middle East left him upset, with Van Dijk since being named Liverpool’s new captain to replace Henderson.
The midfielder was at the club long before Van Dijk’s arrival as Henderson played a massive role in Liverpool winning the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League as well as the domestic double last year.
And Henderson’s move to Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia has left Van Dijk sad, with the Liverpool defender seemingly missing his midfield partner ahead of the new season.
The Dutch international said when asked about Henderson’s shock move to the Middle East this summer: “Obviously we won everything together, and I was very sad to see him leave, to be honest.
MORE LIVERPOOL STORIES
“But that’s football, that’s life, and he has the right to do that in this case. He made that decision, but if I can be as successful as he was as a captain then I would sign (up) for that immediately.”
Van Dijk will have to lead Liverpool to replace Henderson void
Losing Henderson is something no Liverpool fan could have predicted this summer, yet in Van Dijk, the Reds have the perfect replacement already signed and a player who knows how to lead a top-quality squad.
The defender has worn the armband for some time for the Dutch national team, and at Liverpool, Van Dijk has established himself as a clear leader in the dressing room amongst his teammates.
Whilst Van Dijk might see the task as a big one, the 32-year-old is more than equipped to lead Liverpool to glory, with Henderson no doubt proud of his former defensive teammate taking the armband.