What Virgil van Dijk is now thinking about his future at Liverpool beyond this season

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After a turbulent season last year, Virgil van Dijk is looking back to his best for Liverpool.

Having been the undisputed best defender in the world up until a serious knee injury in 2020, Van Dijk’s Liverpool career had been one of unmitigated success. But last season in particular, that changed.

With criticism reigning down on him, the 32-year-old looked like he could be on the decline. Determined to answer those critics though, Van Dijk has roared back to life in 2023/24.

And according to The Athletic, the Reds skipper now thinks he still has many, many years left right at the top.

They claim that despite now being 32, Van Dijk is planning to stay at Liverpool for as long as they want him. The Dutchman is reportedly looking at Chelsea centre-back Thiago Silva as a blueprint for this.

At 39, Silva has played every minute of Chelsea’s Premier League campaign so far. It’s said that providing his body holds up – and providing the Reds still want him around – Van Dijk ‘sees no reason why that can’t be him at Liverpool.’

Van Dijk in it for the long haul

This is absolutely superb news for Liverpool. After the serious injury he suffered at 29 and his subsequent slide in form, it was easy to be fearful of Virgil’s long-term role at Anfield.

But having been handed the captaincy by Jurgen Klopp, he’s been given a new lease of life.

Right now, there looks like being no reason at all that Van Dijk can’t continue at the top well into his 30’s.

Despite the big injury three years ago, he’s been virtually ever-present for Liverpool since signing in 2018. He’s barely missed a game for fitness reasons.

Although he’s quick, Van Dijk has never relied on pace to underpin his defending. He reads the game brilliantly and much in the same way as Silva only puts the burners on when absolutely necessary.

Jordan Pickford’s challenge that snapped his ACL in 2020 is proof that you never know what can happen in football. But provided nothing else of that ilk occurs, you can easily see Van Dijk becoming the elder statesman at Liverpool.

Only recently, James Milner proved that age can be just a number in a top team. Virgil certainly has that in his locker.

Having just gained the armband, you can see why the No.4 wants to prolong his stay at Anfield. If he isn’t already, that will certainly put him down as one of Liverpool’s greatest ever defenders.