John Terry reacts as Van Dijk ‘makes Liverpool history’
Virgil van Dijk joined a small group of players to captain their team to a Premier League title as Liverpool’s 20th crown was confirmed.
Liverpool wrapped up their second Premier League title – and a first top-flight success in front of fans since 1990 – with a dominant 5-1 victory over Tottenham in front of a packed Anfield crowd on Sunday.
Van Dijk didn’t get on the scoresheet at Anfield as he had late on against West Ham in Liverpool’s home match prior, as Luis Diaz, Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah did the Reds’ business.
Tottenham’s Destiny Udogie steered a Diogo Jota cross into his own net which rounded off the goals for Liverpool, and the final whistle confirmed a title which has been on the horizon for quite some time.
Virgil van Dijk a history-maker after Liverpool success
Though Liverpool won’t have the trophy in their hands until their last home game against Crystal Palace on the final day, they’ll do so after one of the most dominant campaigns in Premier League history.
Van Dijk has contributed to that dominance at both ends with four goals, an assist and 14 clean sheets, and the 33-year-old also becomes the very first Dutchman to captain a side to the Premier League title.
| Player | Appearances | Starts | Goals/Assists | Clean Sheets | Yellow/Red Cards |
| Virgil van Dijk | 34 | 34 | 2/1 | 14 | 3 |
The Reds skipper is also hopeful he can lead his country to World Cup glory across the pond in a year’s time, and posted on Instagram after full-time (28 April) with a message which said: “HIS STORY”.
Fellow Premier League-winning centre-back and captain John Terry left a message of “congratulations”, while Jordan Henderson – Van Dijk’s skipper at Anfield for their 2019–20 title lift – saluted the Dutchman.
Legendary status sealed for Van Dijk at Liverpool
Liverpool have been firmly on course for their now-confirmed Premier League title for several months now, but for a long period across those months, Van Dijk’s long-term future at Anfield was up in the air.
Alongside Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk’s contract was in line to expire at season’s end, and Mick Brown told Football Insider last month that Bayern Munich planned to open “preliminary talks” with the defender.
Although Alexander-Arnold is destined for the exit door, Salah and Van Dijk have both committed their futures to Liverpool for the next two years, and that’ll only further cement their names in Anfield history as Van Dijk prepares to lift the Premier League trophy.