The defender says his side’s fighting win over Chelsea was exactly what they needed as they continue to chase trophies
Virgil van Dijk says Liverpool‘s battling shootout win over Chelsea in the UEFA Super Cup was “‘incredibly important” for the Reds as they continue to chase titles under Jurgen Klopp.
Liverpool claimed the biggest crown in Europe last season, winning the Champions League over Tottenham and backed up that success with another trophy on Wednesday with a shootout victory over the Blues following a 2-2 draw.
Wednesday’s win did not come easy, with Frank Lampard’s side coming out of the gates fast and taking a lead to half-time.
Liverpool came back in the second half, pulling level and taking control of the match, but still had to fight through extra time, where the sides traded goals, before winning the match from the spot.
And Van Dijk says winning another trophy in such a tight contest would prove invaluable for the club moving forward.
“It’s incredibly important,” he told reporters. “I do think it’s really important – for the progress of the team, for our development.
“Winning a trophy is important for your mentality. We did it the hard way.”
The Dutch centre-back says he came to Liverpool to win trophies, and it is his belief that each success makes the next easier.
“I think before I joined, in my decision I set my goals, and these things were part of my goals – winning trophies was part of my decision.
“You take every opportunity you have to win a trophy. That is always the goal, and winning makes it a little bit easier the next time.
“We would have liked to have done it easier, we wanted to do it like we did better in the second half, but the winning is the important thing at the end. It is good to have that mentality.”
While winning in Europe is always a priority, Liverpool are still chasing the Premier League title, which the club narrowly missed out on last season.
The Reds got their domestic season off to a fine start, taking a 4-1 win over Norwich, and will be hoping to keep their positive run going on Saturday when they face Southampton away from home.
Be the first to comment