Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has called on his teammates to show a significant improvement as the new Premier League campaign approaches, insisting there must be no repetition of last term’s poor performance.
The Reds captain has spoken of his excitement for the upcoming season under incoming manager Andoni Iraola, with the new term commencing on Sunday with a trip to St James’ Park to face Newcastle.
The Merseyside club entered the 2025/26 season as reigning English champions but endured a difficult campaign, losing 12 league matches and 20 games across all competitions as Arne Slot’s team stumbled to a fifth-placed finish on the final day, though Champions League qualification was still secured.
The disappointing results led to Slot departing his role less than a week after the season concluded. He was promptly succeeded by Iraola, who had become available after his tenure at Bournemouth came to an end.
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The Spanish coach finalised a two-year contract in early June and friendly matches have suggested a more attacking approach, something Van Dijk has indicated he welcomes.
However, the experienced captain, who will commence his tenth season at the club this weekend, believes the entire squad must meet the challenge of substantially bettering what was a deeply unsatisfying year under Slot.
Van Dijk stated that personally, as a Liverpool player, last season fell below acceptable standards. He emphasised that the past is in the past and the team now has a chance to rectify matters collectively with supporter backing. He acknowledged the difficulty ahead but warned that anyone unwilling to meet that challenge does not belong at the club. He noted that at present, everyone appears prepared to face that test. He expressed genuine anticipation for the season and felt the team has no need to prove anything to outsiders, instead needing to demonstrate their passion and determination for the club while recognising the honour of representing Liverpool. Regarding Iraola’s work with Bournemouth previously, he described it as fairly dynamic. He believed that through continued effort, belief, quality display, fitness maintenance and victories, there would be plenty to be enthusiastic about. This remains the objective and the motivation, though everyone understands the competitive nature of Premier League football across multiple competitions must be accepted and enjoyed as part of the journey. He considers himself fortunate to be at the club and intends to maintain that mindset while encouraging others to do the same, noting he regularly communicates this to teammates.
Van Dijk will begin the campaign with a different central defensive partner as Iraola considers whether to field £60m acquisition Jeremy Jacquet or the more seasoned Ronald Araujo, who arrived on loan from Barcelona earlier this month.
The Dutch national team captain stressed the necessity of having a squad capable of challenging on all fronts as the sole path to potential achievement. He anticipated seeing what the remaining transfer window period brings before committing to the challenge.