Virgil van Dijk sends message to Liverpool fans after axe for Brighton defeat
Virgil van Dijk has paid tribute to Liverpool supporters after he was dropped from the side for their clash with Brighton.
This has been a hugely successful season for the centre-back, who has captained the Reds to the Premier League title in Arne Slot‘s first season as manager at Anfield.
It has also been a significant one for the Dutchman from a personal perspective, with Van Dijk putting pen to paper on a new two-year contract at Liverpool.
However, the 32-year-old has a quieter evening on Monday (19 May), as his side travelled to the AMEX Stadium to take on Brighton.
Virgil van Dijk left out of Brighton clash
With the title already secured, Slot elected to rotate his side for that match against Fabian Hurzler’s side, and Van Dijk was one of those to miss out.
The 32-year-old was an unused substitute in that match, marking the first time he has not appeared in a Premier League game this season.
In his absence, Liverpool were beaten 3-2 by Brighton, but with the main objective of the Premier League title already secured, their supporters were able to remain in party mode throughout the game.
| Virgil van Dijk 2024/25 Premier League stats | Total (SofaScore) |
| Appearances | 36 |
| Goals | 3 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Pass Success Rate | 92% |
| Duel Success Rate | 68% |
After the match the club shared a clip of those celebrations to their Instagram, and Van Dijk was keen to show his appreciation for their backing, while looking ahead to the trophy lift at Anfield at the weekend.
Sharing that video to his own story, the Liverpool captain then added a caption that read: “Big thanks to all of you for travelling and supporting us everywhere we went this season.
“One more to go at Anfield – a sea of red again, then we all celebrate together lifting that trophy!”
Liverpool will not worry about latest defeat
Football Insider Verdict
It is hard to imagine anyone connected with Liverpool will have any concern at all about that loss to Brighton.
With the title already won, this game was never going to have any consequences for their season, and so there was absolutely no pressure on it whatsoever.
Indeed, given they have secured the title with time to spare, it makes sense for Liverpool to take it easy for these final games of the season, not least by rotating their squad.
Scheduling is incredibly heavy for players these days, so if they have a chance to give some an extra break to ensure they are fresh for when things matter at the start of next season it makes sense to take it.
As a result, it is probably no huge surprise that Van Dijk was among those who was given a rest in this clash with Brighton.