Van Dijk backs Salah and explains Kerkez exchange after Liverpool win | OneFootball

Virgil van Dijk has admitted he wants Mohamed Salah to remain at Liverpool as uncertainty continues over the forward’s future beyond this season.

Salah delivered one of his most influential performances of the campaign in the FA Cup win over Brighton, assisting Dominik Szoboszlai before winning and converting a penalty to help seal progress.

The Egypt international has one year remaining on his current deal and continues to be linked with interest from Saudi Arabia ahead of the summer window.

Van Dijk made clear his position when asked about Salah’s importance.

“Mo is still so important for us. Last week he had an assist again and broke another record and he is still the leader and important for me personally, as a captain, to have around and to have him on the pitch and his presence benefits the team.

“He always gives the team more than goals. There’s obviously a lot of focus on his goals at the moment and that’s also part of his life because he puts the standards so extremely high, so when he doesn’t score as much he gets criticised.

“He has to stay calm and try to be important with everything he still can do and there is so much still. He is important for us on and off the pitch.”

On Salah’s contractual situation, the Liverpool captain added: “The situation is what it is. The full focus is on trying to make this season a success first and we will see how then the season ends and then you never know what happens.

“I always want Mo to stay because I’m a good friend of him and we’ve been through the highs and not-so-highs – I don’t want to call them lows – together for so many years. The same as me he’s got one more year, so we will see.”

Van Dijk also reflected on Milos Kerkez’s development after the left-back produced a man-of-the-match display against Brighton.

Kerkez arrived in the summer for £40million as the long-term successor to Andy Robertson and endured an inconsistent start to life at Anfield, with Van Dijk frequently seen offering instructions during matches.

“I think it is pretty clear you definitely see an improvement,” said the centre-back. “He is still so young and is getting used to being a Liverpool player, it is a lot more than kick a ball on the pitch. Especially when the team has been inconsistent, it’s not easy to play your best games.

“But with the help of Robbo and the rest of the team and his own development I think he is making big progress. What I see is there is a lot to come for him to learn and improve but that’s a good thing. He just has to keep going.

“He has a lot of energy. He is young (laughs). When we were young we were always full of energy. He is eager to learn.

“The price tag you can’t do anything about. When I joined the club it was also like that. £75million was a lot of money, but what can I do about it?”

On their on-field exchanges, Van Dijk added: “Of course I had chats because on the pitch we need each other, whether it is positioning or even today he presses as a full-back and I have to cover.

“It’s a collaboration that you obviously have to understand each other and me and Robbo had that for so many years and you still see that in our game. That is something that has to develop over games.

“Conversations are happening 100% behind the scenes and in games, like with the rest of the team, to try to be the best team and players on the pitch.”