Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk has left the door open to a future in management in a candid interview with former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand.
The Dutch centre-back, now 33, finds himself in the final year of his Liverpool contract, and while he remains committed to the club, he hasn’t yet reached an agreement for an extension.
Having joined Liverpool from Southampton in 2017, Van Dijk quickly emerged as a defensive cornerstone, helping the Reds clinch their first Premier League title and cementing his reputation as one of the league’s greatest-ever defenders.
Despite his age, Van Dijk is still performing at the highest level, proving indispensable for Liverpool. Supporters are keen to see his future secured alongside star players Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah – both of whom are in the same boat with their contracts as the Dutchman, a situation that has left many worried.
That said, recent reports suggest Liverpool are prioritising his contract talks, intent on reaching a deal to retain their world-class defender.
Virgil van Dijk discusses plans for his future in football
Van Dijk has now dropped a massive hint regarding his future on a podcast with Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand.
Discussing his plans for life after football, Van DIjk refused to rule out the possibility of becoming a manager in the future.
Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, he said:
“I said no, but that’s also because coming to this hectic, busy, on-it life that my family is sacrificing a lot, my wife and my kid.”
“To then have a year off or two years off and then going back into it… I don’t think I see it happening, but never say never.”
“I really feel like I definitely will give something back to football.”
“I love working and seeing younger players out there. I like going, for example, to the Liverpool Academy to watch the [age-group sides].”
“I know, because the thing is, when I was younger, I was eight or nine, and we had a training session and the first-team players from my team back then, Willem II, two or three players came and trained with us, and I’ll never forget that.”
“I know what kind of impact it makes to the younger boys and the younger generation, but what they give to me as well, seeing them happy and playing with pure joy… that’s something that brings a lot to me as well.
“That’s going back to the question, I would love to stay in football in the future, but at my time, I don’t know which kind of role, and it’s too far away to think about it.”