Virgil van Dijk on how he sees title race as he singles out two Liverpool team-mates

Virgil van Dijk knows what it's similar to sensation Premier League glory, but the Liverpool skipper isn't getting carried distant up of his side's immense clash with champions Manchester City

Virgil van Dijk insists Liverpool's emotions are successful cheque arsenic they grip the anticipation of starring the rubric race.

Liverpool big a Manchester City broadside amid a situation this weekend, with the Reds 8 points wide of the wounded champions. City person suffered decision successful 5 of their past six matches successful each competitions, with their past triumph coming successful the league against Southampton.

It would look the cleanable clip for Arne Slot to spell to warfare with Pep Guardiola, but skipper Van Dijk is refusing to get carried away. "It's the acquisition that volition evidently assistance you, successful my opinion, and it should assistance you, and my feeling is, it will," Van Dijk told Mirror Football.

"If you play for Liverpool, past you ever person these expectations. If you inquire anyone successful the Premier League, they would emotion to beryllium successful the presumption we are, astatine this constituent successful the season, 8 points clear. I'm a winner. I privation to triumph successful each and everything I vie in.

"I'm not participating conscionable to beryllium there; I privation to beryllium successful, and I'm playing games to win, and I privation to beryllium palmy astatine the extremity of the season." Van Dijk has enjoyed immense occurrence with the Reds, winning respective trophies nether erstwhile manager Jurgen Klopp, including the Premier League rubric successful 2020.

Liverpool came adjacent to repeating this feat successful 2022, lone for Man City to pip them to the post. Van Dijk is keen to marque amends this play but knows determination is inactive a batch of shot to beryllium played betwixt present and May.

"We're going to springiness it a try. We're going to spell for it and hopefully bask it," said the 33-year-old. "We're going to person hard moments, going to person games wherever we play poor. But we privation to find a mode to triumph each and each game. And if you're acceptable to suffer, acceptable to person these hard moments and flooded them, past it could beryllium a precise peculiar season. But we'll see. I deliberation we conscionable person to bask the ride."

By opposition with City, Liverpool are successful glittering form, having won 5 of their past six successful each competitions. Van Dijk has been playing astatine the apical of his game, but the Dutchman has identified compatriots Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo arsenic stand-out performers successful Slot's caller system. He's been peculiarly impressed by the enactment they enactment successful each week and expects them to amended further this season.

"The mode we play, and the mode they person been playing, and however they've been playing has decidedly been helping them successful bid to get the performances they person been putting in," Van Dijk added.

"They are bully guys; they are level-headed, enactment hard each and each time and privation to improve. They are exceptional players successful my eyes and tin lone get better."

Van Dijk precocious amazed a young Liverpool instrumentality astatine a Ronald McDonald House, bringing location however important the nine is to fans. He said: "Meeting young Oliver was a humbling acquisition and shows what interaction we person connected the community. He has been successful and retired of infirmary and that's immoderate parent's worst nightmare.

"The Ronald McDonald House is simply a 'home distant from home' and the unit were amazing, and it makes specified a quality to families successful specified hard times. Donations are much captious than ever truthful delight assistance McDonald’s rise arsenic overmuch wealth arsenic imaginable to support places similar this going."

Van Dijk was with McDonald's astatine Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey - a Charity that provides escaped accommodation to families with sick children successful hospital. To donate, circular up your bid astatine the McDonald's Kiosk, Via the QR codification connected the festive McCafe cups, connected the McDonald's app oregon astatine rmhc.org.uk/virgildonate/