Virgil van Dijk: Champions League qualification ‘not the standard’ for Liverpool

Liverpool are three points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa in the chase for the Champions League places. Liverpool's next game is against Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon

Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk: "The reality is we are playing five more games and we have to try to get qualification for Champions League done." Pic: Nick Potts/PA Wire.

Liverpool’s chances of playing Champions League football were boosted by results at the weekend but captain Virgil van Dijk insisted that was not a standard by which the club should be measured.

A return to Europe’s elite club competition is a must not only for the players on the field but the executives off it as missing out on the income would impact their summer spending.

And while securing a top-five place would be seen as a positive at the end of a hugely disappointing season as defending Premier League champions, Van Dijk said the squad could not afford to think like that.

“The reality is we are playing five more games and we have to try to get qualification for Champions League done,” said Van Dijk.

“It’s definitely not the standards I expect and envision myself being a Liverpool player – just to qualify for the Champions League.” 

The Merseyside derby win at Everton ended a run of four defeats in five, including exits from the FA Cup and Champions League, in which it felt like the season was on something of a terminal downward spiral.

A good performance in Saturday’s visit of Crystal Palace, who have one eye on the UEFA Conference League semi-finals, will be crucial ahead of a trip to Old Trafford the following weekend.

Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah were the goalscorers at Everton but with the Dutchman, 35 in July, soon to enter the final year of his contract and Salah, along with Andy Robertson, leaving in the summer, the squad is losing a huge amount of experience.

Replacing that will have to come from within the current squad, with a new vice-captain to be appointed in the summer.

“Vice-captain? I don’t want to say but I definitely have my opinion and I always share my opinion,” said Van Dijk.

“Players have to step up. You grow into that role or you already have it in you, that is something players have to show even more next season.

“After the World Cup, in pre-season, it will be an interesting development in terms of how the manager sees it as well and then we have to tackle the season in the best way possible and not have a season like we have had this season again.” 

Asked whether the squad needed a reset, the centre-back said: “You have to ask the question to the guys higher up.

“The leadership boys are falling apart – in terms of players leaving – so players have to step up and see what the guys making the decisions are going to do but I’m pretty sure everyone has the right intentions to make us, as a club, competitive and hopefully not have a season like we’re having this season again.”