Virgil van Dijk has said Liverpool teammate Milos Kerkez is making “big progress” following a difficult start to his Anfield career.
Kerkez joined Arne Slot’s side in a £40 million ($54m) move from AFC Bournemouth last summer. The 22-year-old faced criticism for his early displays in a Liverpool shirt but has excelled in recent months and was a standout performer for the Reds as they beat Brighton & Hove Albion in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday night.
“I think it is pretty clear you definitely see an improvement,” Van Dijk said.
“He is still so young and is getting used to being a Liverpool player, it is a lot more than kicking a ball on the pitch, especially when the team has been inconsistent it’s not easy to play your best games.
“But with the help of Robbo [Andy Robertson] and the rest of the team and his own development I think he is making big progress.
“What I see is there is a lot to come for him to learn and improve but that’s a good thing. He just has to keep going.
“He has a lot of energy. He is young. When we were young we were always full of energy! He is eager to learn.
“Of course I had chats [earlier in the season] because on the pitch we need each other, whether it is positioning or even [against Brighton] he presses as a full-back and I have to cover.
“It’s a collaboration that you obviously have to understand each other and me and Robbo had that for so many years and you still see that in our game. That is something that has to develop over games. Conversations are happening 100% behind the scenes and in games, like with the rest of the team, to try to be the best team and players on the pitch.”
Virgil van Dijk hopes Mohamed Salah stays at Liverpool
Van Dijk also praised forward Mohamed Salah after he both scored and assisted for Liverpool against Brighton. The Egypt international has at times struggled for form this term but Van Dijk believes his latest display shows his continued importance to the team.
“Mo is still so important for us,” the Dutchman said.
“Last week he had an assist again and broke another record. He is still the leader and important for me personally, as a captain, to have around and to have him on the pitch and his presence benefits the team. He also has to just keep going.
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“He always gives the team more than goals. There’s obviously a lot of focus on his goals at the moment and that’s also part of his life because he puts the standards so extremely high when he doesn’t score as much he gets criticised. He has to stay calm and try to be important with everything he still can do, and there is so much still. He is important for us on and off the pitch.”
Asked whether he would like Salah to stay beyond the end of this season, Van Dijk added: “The full focus is on trying to make this season a success first and we will see how then the season ends, and then you never know what happens because it’s football.
“I always want Mo to stay because I’m a good friend of him and we’ve been through the highs and not-so-highs — I don’t want to call them lows — together for so many years. The same as me he’s got one more year, so we will see.”
