Virgil van Dijk sends emphatic five-word message to doubters after match-winning display in Carabao Cup final

Virgil van Dijk sent a defiant message to his doubters after his Carabao Cup-winning display, saying: “They thought I was finished” with a shrug of the shoulders.

The Liverpool star was one of the more experienced stars on show for Jurgen Klopp’s side as a youthful Reds side won the first major trophy of the season by beating Chelsea 1-0 in extra-time.

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Van Dijk was the match-winner for Liverpool at Wembley
With five players under 20 years of age on the pitch for Liverpool at the final whistle, it was the experienced defender who proved to be the star of the show.

The 32-year-old saw a goal disallowed for offside during the first half of the game, but ended up being the match-winner late on in extra time as he guided a header into the far corner of the net with just a couple of minutes remaining.

Van Dijk’s contract at the club runs until the summer of 2025, meaning that his future at Anfield will be questioned, particularly after his comments cast doubt over his long-term plans following Klopp’s decision to leave this summer.

However the Dutchman did ease the minds of Liverpool’s fans by stating that despite his comments, he is fully committed to staying on Merseyside.

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“It’s much taken out of context,” he said in an interview with Men in Blazers. “To be 100 per cent clear, I’m fully committed to the club, I love the club, I love the fans, it is full taken out of context.

“It’s not about me, it’s not about I, it’s about us and nothing has changed, five days ago we weren’t even speaking about my contract so it’s a bit silly.

“But my full focus is on making sure this year can be a very special year, obviously it was a big announced the last couple of days, it’s been a shock to each one of us connected to the club.

“I feel exactly what the fans have been feeling in that exact moment, but we mean business here, we want to crack on, we want to achieve things that we dreamed of at the start of the season.

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Van Dijk inspired a young Liverpool side to glory over Chelsea

“We are in a good position so let’s give it our all but like I said already at the start, don’t get it twisted, I’m fully committed to the club. I love it, I love each and everyday, I’m the captain, we’re going to go for it all and let’s see how that goes.”

Liverpool’s victory over Chelsea means that Klopp’s final season at the club will end with at least one piece of silverware in the cabinet.

Liverpool players join Jurgen Klopp as they sing ‘You’ll never walk alone’ with the travelling fans after Carabao Cup win

But with the Reds still competing in the Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League, there’s every opportunity that they might be able to record a historic quadruple.