Liverpool Fans Loved Virgil Van Dijk's Tunnel Antics Before Reds' 2-1 FA Cup Win Against Everton

Virgil van Dijk, after jumping to Liverpool from Southampton in a world-record deal for a defender worth £75m, made his first Anfield appearance for the club on

Virgil van Dijk, after jumping to Liverpool from Southampton in a world-record deal for a defender worth £75m, made his first Anfield appearance for the club on Friday evening against Everton in the FA Cup.

And prior to his first steps onto the hallowed turf, the Dutchman tapped the 'This Is Anfield' sign in the tunnel - already seeming to defy the orders of his new manager Jurgen Klopp.

Clive Brunskill/GettyImages

Klopp, back in 2016, said in an interview to Mirror: "I've told my players not to touch the 'This Is Anfield' sign until they win something," though obviously Van Dijk failed to read the memo.

After catapulting his new employers into the 4th round of the planet's most prestigious club competition against such bitter rivals in the Toffees, the fans have reacted to the the centre-half's pre-match antics, and it's certainly safe to say that he's won a few of them over already.

Tradition and passion are usually associated with Liverpool, and for a new, bank-breaking acquisition to prove himself on his debut by scoring the winner in the 84th minute with a composed header at the Kop End, the club's avid supporters glowingly had their say on Twitter.

Van Dijk the only LFC player to touch the ‘this is Anfield’ sign on his way out.

Love him already.

— Tim (@TimD2704) January 5, 2018

Van Dijk touching the “This is Anfield” sign ahhhhhhhhhhh

— ‎ ً (@lNVERTEDWlNGER) January 5, 2018

Van Dijk touches the THIS IS ANFIELD sign on his way to the pitch . . . love him already ~signofrespect

— Andrew Songhurst (@AndySong66) January 5, 2018

Looks like Van Dijk is yet to be told Jurgen Klopp has banned Liverpool players from touching the 'This Is Anfield' board till they win something under him. Haha

— Kwaku Ahenkorah (@KwakuAhenkorah3) January 5, 2018

Given Van Dijk's relative naivety, perhaps Klopp will choose to ignore the centre-back's disregard for his strict rules, as for now it's plausible to speculate that a little magic may have rubbed off of the famous sign to give the former Saints man the spirit to clinch the tie's pivotal goal to benefit his squad's progression.