The shift that made Van Dijk Liverpool’s tone-setter – The Athletic | OneFootball

A subtle structural change behind the scenes has helped explain why one Liverpool figure is increasingly unavoidable.

Virgil van Dijk has long been our captain on paper, but his influence under Arne Slot has taken on a more defined shape this season.

According to Gregg Evans of The Athletic, the Dutch defender’s prominence is no accident, but the result of a deliberate move away from how leadership previously worked at Anfield.

Under Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool operated with a designated leadership group that included our No.4, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson, Alisson and later Mo Salah.

That formal structure has since been phased out.

Van Dijk leadership role under Slot sets Liverpool tone

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Evans explains that our head coach has “moved away from having a formal leadership group,” instead leaning heavily on the captain and vice-captain to set standards.

For us, that has placed Van Dijk firmly at the centre of everything.

The 34-year-old, appointed captain in July 2023, made a personal decision to speak to the media after every match, regardless of result, a commitment that has not gone unnoticed internally.

Evans notes that Van Dijk is “the leader who sets the tone and ultimately runs the dressing room,” while still operating alongside senior voices.

Robertson, who joined Liverpool in 2017 and was appointed vice-captain ahead of Salah following Alexander-Arnold’s summer departure, remains a key figure.

Alisson also carries weight within the group, with Evans pointing out that it was “no coincidence” the Brazil international was chosen to face the media alongside Slot ahead of a potentially volatile press conference in Italy.

Van Dijk influence reflects Liverpool standards on and off pitch

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

This context gives added meaning to what we saw after the Brighton win, when Van Dijk again fronted the conversation and stressed togetherness at Anfield.

In that moment, the captain spoke calmly about Salah heading to Morocco, saying: “Mo is going to AFCON and we all hope that he’ll be successful there,” before adding that he hoped the forward would return and remain important for us.

He also addressed uncertainty directly by stating: “I hope that he stays because he is one of my leaders and still very important for the football club.”

Those words echoed the composure Slot has brought, with Van Dijk praising how the situation has been handled amid outside noise.

That leadership has also been recognised globally, with Van Dijk named in The Best FIFA Men’s 11 for 2025, a reflection of both his performances during our title-winning campaign and the authority he carries beyond the pitch.

For Liverpool, this is less about hierarchy and more about clarity.

With no formal leadership group, Van Dijk’s consistency, accountability and presence now define the standards we operate by.

You can watch Slot’s post-Brighton press conference via Empire of the Kop on YouTube:

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