"I am not looking forward to saying goodbye at all" - Virgil van Dijk admits Jurgen Klopp's departure from Liverpool will be 'emotional'

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk recently opened up about Jurgen Klopp's departure from Anfield at the end of the season, saying that it would be very difficult and "emotional" for him.

The Dutch defender also touched upon the departure of other important figures in the club, including assistant manager Pepijn Linders.

"I am quite emotional and I always find it very difficult to say goodbye to people, which will certainly be the case now. It is not only the manager who is leaving the club. It's more people," Virgil van Dijk said, via Tribal Football.

"Pepijn (Lijnders) is a really important figure in the dressing room and I could go on and on. I am not looking forward to saying goodbye at all, but we still have the chance to win more trophies together," he added.

Jurgen Klopp joined Liverpool in October, 2015 and helped the Reds return to the top in both England and Europe.

Virgil van Dijk has been one of Klopp's most successful signings after joining the English giants in 2018 from Southampton. The Dutchman has helped the club win the Premier League, the Champions League and numerous other titles.

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Virgil van Dijk will address future with Liverpool after the arrival of new manager

The Jurgen Klopp era will officially end for Liverpool at the end of the season, and the Reds have already started their search for a successor. Xabi Alonso is a frontrunner to take over, but more candidates are expected to join the race.

Virgil van Dijk has said that he would address his future with the club after the coaching search is over and a new manager has been appointed. He also said that he wants to see what direction the club will move to in the post-Klopp era.

"The club will have a big job on their hands. That is well known. To replace the manager and replace not only the manager, the staff are leaving too, and there are so many things that will change," Van Dijk said, via The Athetic.

"So the club has a big job on its hands and I am very curious which direction that will go in. But when that will be announced we will see our situation, I can’t say now," he added.

The Dutch defender is under contract with Liverpool through the summer of 2025, so keeping him on a new deal is expected to become a priority for the club soon.