Virgil van Dijk Speaks of Pride at Representing 'My Club' Ahead of the Champions League Final

Virgil van Dijk has opened up on what it means to him to represent Liverpool ahead of his side's Champions League final clash with Tottenham Hotspur on

Virgil van Dijk has opened up on what it means to him to represent Liverpool ahead of his side's Champions League final clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

The final will be the Reds' second European final in two years, and Van Dijk will be hoping to go one better this time, after they lost to 3-1 to Real Madrid at the same stage last season.

Speaking to Liverpool's official website, the Dutch defender spoke of his pride at representing the Merseyside club: "Yes, it's my club definitely and I'm very proud to be wearing this shirt every day.

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"But it's also one of the reasons when I came here - how everyone lives around Liverpool, lives and dies for the club, want to do everything for us, will be there in tough times. They will also be with us in the good times."

At the time of his move from Southampton, the Netherlands international was being targeted by several of Europe's top clubs. 

However, the centre back insisted that Liverpool are different to the rest, as he said: "I think this is a real football club and you don't have too many at this level that are living and breathing for a club like Liverpool. It was a very important decision [for me] to make, but so far it has gone pretty well."

Despite a successful 18 months on Merseyside, the defender is yet to get his hands on any silverware, as he has narrowly missed out on the Champions League and Premier League titles. 

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Saturday's final against Spurs will once again give him the opportunity to do just that, and Van Dijk claims that Liverpool are approaching this game like any other: "I think we are going to play our own game, like we always have done in any game we have played.

"It's one game, anything can happen and we just try to play our game and hopefully give them a lot of difficulties." 

By the time the final takes place on Saturday 1 June, it will have been three weeks since Liverpool and Tottenham's last game, so they will have had plenty of time to prepare.