Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk “loves the club” and insists remarks that suggested he was considering his future were “taken out of context”.
Van Dijk, who has 18 months left on his Anfield contract, was asked on Sunday if he would remain at Liverpool beyond the end of the season or follow manager Jurgen Klopp in walking away.
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The Dutchman said he “didn’t know” and was “curious which direction the club would go in”.
Many Liverpool fans took that as a sign Van Dijk was not keen to be a part of the post-Klopp era but, speaking to the Men in Blazers podcast, the former Celtic defender sought to clarify his position.
He said: “To be 100 per cent clear, I am fully committed to the club. I love the club. I love the fans. It is fully taken out of context.”
Liverpool are still fighting on four fronts this season and go into tonight’s game with Chelsea top of the Premier League, two points clear of second-placed Arsenal with a game in hand.
Klopp has urged Liverpool to focus on winning silverware, and not his impending departure, and that was a message repeated by Van Dijk.
He added: “It’s not about me, it’s not about I. It is about us and nothing has changed.
“My full focus is on making sure this year can be very special. Obviously [it was a] big announcement over the last couple of days. It has been a shock to each one of us connected to the club.
“We want to achieve things that we dreamed of at the start of the season. Don’t get it twisted, I’m fully committed to the club – I love each and every second that I am the captain.”
