With Jordan Henderson and James Milner leaving at the same time, the positions of captain and vice-captain at Liverpool quickly became vacant. Thirty-two-year-old defender Virgil van Dijk, who is also the captain of the Dutch national team, was named captain, while Trent Alexander-Arnold was named vice-captain.
He has worn the captain’s mark in multiple matches in the past, but that was only during the game. Off the pitch, Henderson’s longtime role seems to be a diverse one, and he said it is very different from his role with the national team.
“Naturally I’m proud and it is a big responsibility,”
“This is no different with the Dutch national team but with Oranje you are often only together for a few days, so the number of tasks as captain is not too bad. There’s a lot involved at the club, both on and off the field. You get involved in almost everything.”
Liverpool has also renewed its midfielders this summer. While many of the players who made a name for themselves in the past have left the team, newcomers and young players are making their mark.
The age structure has also improved considerably, with experienced players such as van Dijk, Alisson Becker, and Thiago Alcántara.
The Dutch national team captain says that the team is still in a transitional period, but he also says that he feels the trust of Klopp and is able to spend time with the team every day.
“We are in a kind of transition phase with Liverpool,”
“So of course it’s nice to feel that the manager (Juergen Klopp) still considers me part of the new team, of Liverpool 2.0 so to speak. We spoke a lot in the first weeks of preparation. That showed confidence in me.”