Van Dijk on Slot’s Liverpool Impact: ‘It’s Been an Incredible Year’ | OneFootball

Van Dijk Salutes Slot’s Seamless Start to Life at Liverpool

Unity and calm define Liverpool’s Premier League triumph

When the dust settles on Liverpool’s 20th league title, much will rightly be said about the high-intensity pressing, the tactical flexibility, and the young squad’s fearless momentum. But for Virgil van Dijk, it’s not just how Liverpool played under Arne Slot – it’s the composure with which Slot inherited the crown from a colossus.

Slot stepped into the shoes of Jürgen Klopp, a man whose emotional resonance with the city and the club could never truly be replaced. But what he has done is channel the energy Klopp left behind and shape it into something sharp, focused and, crucially, successful.

Van Dijk, Liverpool’s captain and centre-back general, offered rare insight into what made Slot’s debut season so impactful. Speaking on Men in Blazers, he said: “I can’t put it on one single thing, to be absolutely honest with you. Obviously we all know the club had to replace a manager that was obviously such an influence on the success that we had throughout all those years.

“Not only on the team, I mean, just in terms of the club and the city. He meant so much for all of us. And to replace him was always going to be a big task but I think when the new manager came in, he took it with stride.”

Photo: IMAGO

Impact felt on and off the pitch

Slot’s Liverpool have been efficient and elegant. The title was wrapped up with four games to spare following a 5-1 demolition of Tottenham Hotspur – a performance drenched in attacking flair and controlled aggression. But Van Dijk was just as quick to highlight the quiet brilliance off-camera.

“He did it together with his staff and it has been an incredible year so far. Even without the proper pre-season, to perform and the way we worked and the small tweaks that we had in terms of in games.

“And the way he handled himself as well on and off the pitch, it all contributed to the success that we’ve had. I’m very happy for him and his staff, the guys that you don’t see that much on TV maybe but they put all the hard work in as well. The manager also credits them a lot because that’s how it is.”

Slot’s humility, like Klopp’s charisma, is woven into the fabric of this title. There’s been no posturing, no theatre – just method, clarity, and a team that knows exactly what it’s playing for.

Success born from belief, not surprise

Liverpool’s return to the summit has surprised some. For Van Dijk, the shock would have been not winning it, such is his belief in the group’s depth and resilience.

“I wouldn’t say I’m ‘surprised’ about the amount of games that we’ve won because I’ve seen the quality that we have in the team, I’ve seen what we did last year – unfortunately we came short. But it’s still an incredible and amazing achievement that we managed to do this in the way we did it this year.”

That sense of inevitability isn’t arrogance – it’s elite focus. And Van Dijk makes no attempt to hide what it means to him and those around him.

“I’m unbelievably proud and unbelievably happy – not only for myself but for all the players, for the manager, for everyone connected to the club – that we won the Premier League this year and in the manner we did as well.

“We’re going to celebrate [like] crazy and then when pre-season starts again next year then we’ll start from scratch and we’ll go and fight our socks off again hoping to be up there again.”

Respect passed on between giants

One of the most emotional elements of this title wasn’t won on the pitch, but through words and song. In Klopp’s farewell match last May, he serenaded his successor. A year later, Slot returned the gesture, singing his predecessor’s name back to the Kop after the title was secured.

Van Dijk reflected on that poignant moment: “I think we live in a world that sometimes things are forgotten quite quickly. So, for him to then think about obviously everything that Jürgen did for us…

“Because it’s something I will never forget, the success that we had, the impact that he had on the team and the club – he laid the foundations for us to perform this year the way we performed. And obviously the manager realised that. He has been so important for us.

“And obviously now it’s Arne’s time and he took it with stride, like I said. He took it with every success that we can get.”

At Liverpool, the baton has been passed not in defiance of the past, but in honour of it. And under Arne Slot, with leaders like Virgil van Dijk setting the tone, the next chapter is already being written with pride, purpose, and no small amount of silver.