With Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk turning 35 just ahead of the start of the 2026-27 season and now into the final year of his contract, questions about what the future might hold for the Premier League legend have of late begun to push their way into the conversation.
For Van Dijk, though, the focus remains on the present. Or at least that’s what he’s telling anyone who asks, with the Dutch international—who pulled out of his country’s latest round of friendlies and will miss national team duty
for the first time since 2020—being pressed on the issue this week.
“I feel good, but it’s not about me at the moment,” he said when asked if he sees himself continuing at the highest levels, and at Liverpool in particular, beyond the current campaign. “Let’s see, but I’m not in any panic. I want to keep playing and to continue what I’m doing.
“So let’s see what the season brings, but I’ve had an amazing time already so far. If that will be extended, then that’s the case. If not, then I will have to go somewhere else. There’s nothing to report at the moment but that doesn’t mean that there’s any stress about it or anything.”
While Liverpool look to have gotten back on track under new manager Andoni Iraola, they probably aren’t quite at the stage yet where they could be counted as title contenders—and if that’s going to take another year, we’ll be hoping Van Dijk is around to take part in another title race.
And in the meantime, too, even if the Reds are currently nine points back of Arsenal, there are other prizes they will expect to seriously push for this season—from the League Cup and FA Cup to the Champions League—and Van Dijk remains key to any success they do have.
