Virgil van Dijk is Liverpool’s Alan Hansen of this era

 Liverpool have confirmed Virgil van Dijk has signed a two-year deal to keep the spine of Arne Slot’s side intact for a likely title defence next season.

Following Mohamed Salah’s extension until 2027 last week, Van Dijk formally ended another saga which has shadowed a campaign that is on the verge of ending with Premier League success.

From the outset, Liverpool were confident there would be a resolution which kept two of their most senior, top performing players at Anfield. Both could have left for free and attracted huge salaries and signing-on fees.

Like Salah, Van Dijk had numerous options to explore which would have given him greater financial rewards than staying in England.

As with his team-mate, the Saudi Pro League would have gleefully tempted him as a poster boy for their extravagant recruitment spree. But the Saudis have been left disappointed again, as winning the biggest honours in England and Europe remains Van Dijk’s primary motivation. He has committed on the basis of believing that if Liverpool get over the line this season they are well positioned to add more honours in the Slot era.

“I’m very happy, very proud,” Van Dijk said. “There are so many emotions obviously that go through my head right now speaking about it.

“It’s a proud feeling, it’s a feeling of joy. It’s just incredible. The journey I’ve had so far in my career, to be able to extend it with another two years at this club is amazing and I’m so happy.

“It was always Liverpool. That was the case. It was always in my head, it was always the plan and it was always Liverpool.

“There wasn’t any doubt in my head that this is the place to be for me and my family. I’m one of Liverpool. Someone called me the other day an adopted Scouser – I’m really proud to hear these things, it gives me a great feeling.”

Van Dijk’s position as one of the greatest footballers in Liverpool’s history is guaranteed. Since moving to the club from Southampton for a then record £75 million, he has established himself alongside Alan Hansen among the all-time great Liverpool defenders.

He won the Champions League in 2019 and Premier League in 2020, becoming club captain after Jordan Henderson’s departure for Saudi Arabia, in 2023, when Van Dijk was also a target for the Saudi Pro League.

“It always felt right,” Van Dijk added of his time at Anfield. “I said it from the first day on that it felt right and I think it showed in the years we have spent together up until now. And obviously more years to come.

“It is the place for me to be, to spend my best years, be successful with the club as we have been over the years and hopefully the future as well.

“And I love the city, I love the club, I love the fans. I love my team-mates. I love everything that embodies Liverpool, and on to many more.”

Liverpool have been in contention for or won major trophies in all but one season since Van Dijk has been a regular. His importance was never clearer than in 2020-21, when he missed seven months because of a cruciate knee injury – Liverpool struggling to qualify for the Champions League in his absence. The 2022-23 season stands alone as a campaign in which Van Dijk played every week for Liverpool and the club’s standards dropped, but he has returned to majestic form in the two years since.

To extend the deal of one of the greatest footballers in Liverpool’s history might be considered fortunate. To prolong the Anfield career of two within a week is meticulous.

If Mohamed Salah belongs alongside Ian Rush, Sir Kenny Dalglish and John Barnes as the most consistently brilliant attacker Liverpool have ever signed, Virgil van Dijk’s position as one of the Premier League’s great defenders is guaranteed. Since moving to the club from Southampton for a then record £75 million, he has positioned himself alongside Alan Hansen in the ultimate Kop XI.

Many rightly argue the course of Liverpool history changed when Dalglish quit as manager in February 1991. Hansen’s retirement a month later was just as consequential.

Every Liverpool centre-back that followed found themselves instantly compared to the legendary Scot.

Some, like Sami Hyypia, were worthy of being mentioned in the same context. So too Jamie Carragher, although his courage and game intelligence meant as the local boy he was more often referenced as following the path of Tommy Smith and Phil Thompson.

It was only when Van Dijk eased into Jurgen Klopp’s back four with a debut winner against Everton in the FA Cup that the Kop truly recognised Hansen’s natural heir, 27 years after the ex-captain’s farewell.

Hansen’s record of eight league titles and three European Cups will not be beaten by Van Dijk, and the trailblazing, ball-playing centre-backs of the Sixties and Seventies will always stand-out for demonstrating there was more to defending than kicking strikers into the Main Stand.

Educated by their European exploits, the Liverpool of Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley evolved so that centre-backs such as Hansen, Thompson and Mark Lawrenson were pioneers of the modern game and would have looked just as comfortable in central midfield.

But Van Dijk is the complete package in his era, too. Last weekend he was spraying 50-yard diagonal passes like Xabi Alonso in his prime before heading the winning goal against West Ham United to cover up a rare mistake. For the record, he has made just six errors leading to the opposition scoring in 296 Premier League games.

Whether he had opted to renew or call time on his Anfield stay, Van Dijk, who won the Champions League in 2019 and Premier League in 2020, was sure to be venerated.

Uncertainty over Alexander-Arnold’s future continues

Now it is a case of two down, one to go, in the Liverpool contract saga. Possibly too literally in the case of Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose future remains unconfirmed amid expectation that he will join Real Madrid this summer.

He has not signed any contract or committed himself to any formal agreement as yet. The right-back returned to training this week and hopes to play before the end of this season as Liverpool close in on the club’s 20th championship.

On the final day of the campaign against Crystal Palace, it is almost certain there will be an Anfield guard of honour, just as there was for Jurgen Klopp a year ago.

To Liverpool’s relief, if it happens this time it will be granted to all those readying themselves to lift the championship, and defend it next season, rather than departing legends.