Virgil van Dijk has revealed the ‘main thing’ he told Andoni Iraola on his Liverpool arrival.
Iraola succeeded Arne Slot in June in the Anfield hot seat after the club scraped a Champions League qualification place by finishing fifth in a forgettable campaign.
Van Dijk lined up for the Reds in his first game under the Basque during Sunday’s 3-2 friendly defeat to Monaco after being afforded an extended summer break.
And the captain has offered an insight into his message to Iraola in candid talks shortly after his appointment, and his early experiences of the new head coach.
“We had a great conversation in the first week when obviously it was announced,” said Van Dijk.
“The main thing for him to know, and what I told him, is that I’m here for him, regardless.
“Anything he needs, wants to know, wants me for me to do for the team, I’m here for him.
“Hopefully we’ll be successful this season. That’s what we want.”
He added: “[There’s] nothing to take away from Arne and his staff. We had an amazing time together. Obviously last year we were disappointed.
“This year with a new manager [who] has a new way of preparation so we all have to adapt to it; new staff, different training methods.
“But I liked working under Arne and I’m sure I will like working under the new manager as well.”
Van Dijk returned to the AXA Training Centre after a mammoth campaign in which he played every single minute of Liverpool’s Premier League 2025/26 schedule.
The Netherlands international was only rested twice and substituted once in all competitions while also playing in the World Cup, racking up 6,141 minutes overall.
But the centre-back, who considers himself a ‘late bloomer’, insists he is figthing fit after deciding to miss the club’s US tour in order to hit the ground running again.
“I definitely asked for a good break because I felt like I needed it, not only physically but mentally as well,” admitted Van Dijk.
“It was a very demanding year from before pre-season started last year until the day I got knocked out of the World Cup so I felt like I needed a good break.
“I had maybe three days more than Ryan (Gravenberch), Flo (Wirtz) and Alex (Isak).
“But for me, it was key that I didn’t want to go to America because I didn’t want to get jet lagged and then have to come back from there as well.
“I felt like having a couple of extra days at the AXA doing the testing before the team was there, getting ready for them and when the team was back to immediately crack on.
“That was for me personally the best way.”