Virgil van Dijk issued two messages after Liverpool’s victory over Everton, including one of praise for team-mate Mohamed Salah. Both Van Dijk and Salah were on the score sheet as the Reds claimed a 2-1 victory in the Merseyside derby on Sunday afternoon.
The victory sees Liverpool remain in fifth place in the Premier League table and extend their advantage over sixth-placed Chelsea to seven points with five matches left to play.
Arne Slot’s side now have a major advantage in the battle for Champions League football, with Van Dijk’s stoppage-time goal at Hill Dickinson Stadium being the difference for Liverpool. Van Dijk went on to issue a two-word message on Instagram following Liverpool’s victory over Everton.
“THE REDS!” Van Dijk proudly posted on Instagram to his 17.3million followers.
Salah’s goal also came in his final Merseyside derby appearance for Liverpool before he leaves the club this summer.
The Egyptian posted his own message on Instagram, which featured a wordless post accompanied by several photos of himself celebrating, including some with the travelling away fans.
Van Dijk was asked about Salah during a post-match interview, with the Liverpool captain praising his teammate and sending an ‘emotional’ message to the forward.
“There will be a lot of words coming out of my mouth in the next couple of weeks about him, but he’s so important for us, on and off the pitch,” Van Dijk told Sky Sports of Salah.
“The appreciation sometimes comes when players are gone but we appreciate him so much. He’s an outstanding team-mate to have.
“We’ve been through everything together, high and lows. He will still be important for the last five games we have to play.
“It will be emotional for him and his family for sure, but us as well because he means a lot to me, to the team and the fans, of course; but first, we still have a job to do. He knows it; that’s the main focus.”
Liverpool now have five Premier League matches remaining to finish in the top five, which would be enough to qualify for the Champions League.
The Reds will face Crystal Palace at Anfield on Saturday, before taking on Manchester United, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Brentford before the end of the campaign.
