Virgil van Dijk left Mohamed Salah visibly emotional as the Liverpool captain paid tribute to his departing teammate following the Merseyside derby win over Everton
Virgil van Dijk left Mohamed Salah visibly emotional after Liverpool’s win over Everton(Image: Sky Sports)
Virgil van Dijk left Mohamed Salah visibly emotional as the Liverpool captain paid tribute to his departing teammate following the Merseyside derby win over Everton.
Both players scored in the 2-1 victory at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, giving the Reds bragging rights in the first derby to held at their neighbor’s new home. Salah put the visitors ahead during the first half before Beto equalized for the hosts after the break.
The game looked to be heading for a draw before Van Dijk rose highest to head home Liverpool’s winner deep into stoppage time, strengthening his side’s Champions League hopes in the process.
READ MORE: Arne Slot handed huge Liverpool boost as bold move pays off – 5 talking points vs EvertonREAD MORE: Liverpool player ratings, winners and losers vs Everton as Mohamed Salah and 4 more strongVan Dijk and Salah were both interviewed by Sky Sports at full-time, with the latter receiving the man of the match award as his captain paid tribute before his exit at the end of the season.
Salah will bring his nine-year spell at Anfield to an end this summer, having announced his decision after coming to an agreement with Liverpool to waive the final year of his contract.
“There will be a lot of words coming out of my mouth in the next couple of weeks about him,” Van Dijk said. “But he’s so important for us, on and off the pitch.
Mohamed Salah celebrates after putting Liverpool 1-0 ahead against Everton.(Image: Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)
“The appreciation sometimes come when players are gone but we appreciate him so much. He’s an outstanding team-mate to have, we’ve been through everything together, high and lows. He will still be important for the last five games we have to play.
“It will be emotional for him and his family for sure but us as well because he means a lot to me, to the team and the fans, of course. But first, we still have a job to do. He knows it, that’s the main focus.”
Salah was left visibility moved by Van Dijk’s words, with the pair now focusing on securing Champions League qualification during the remainder of the season.
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With Chelsea losing against Manchester United on Saturday, Liverpool now needs a maximum of nine points from its remaining five games to guarantee a spot in the Premier League’s top five.
“We’ve got five more games left against teams that are also fighting for the Champions League spots. Every game is a big one,” Van Dijk added.
“Like I said, we are very disappointed as a whole for the season that we’re having because of the quality we have. It’s below standards.
“But we have to keep fighting, keep going and make the best out of this poor season we’re having. That’s the reality, onto the next.
“Today was a good three points and next up is Crystal Palace at home, who we couldn’t beat for many, many games before.”
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