Virgil's influence will be felt at club for years to come

VIRGIL VAN DIJK was midway through his customary chat with reporters after his match-winning contribution against West Ham United when the Liverpool captain halted proceedings.

- By PAUL GORST

Having spotted Sean Cox, a Liverpool fan who was left with a life-changing brain injury after being attacked outside Anfield in 2018, with his wife Martina as they made their way through the mixed zone, van Dijk broke off from his conversation to say hello and let them know he would be through shortly to catch up properly.

It was a genuinely touching moment as the journalists watched on and a moment of off-the-field class from a centre-back who has provided more than a lifetime of them on the pitch as a Liverpool player.

Having later insisted that the announcement of his new deal would not take precedence over the club's day of Hillsborough remembrance, it was another perfect snapshot of just how much of a leader the Reds skipper is both on and off the field.

On it, he is the defensive linchpin who has played every game of a Premier League campaign that is now just two wins from glory.

The 32-year-old remains arguably the pre-eminent centre-half of European football and his new contract is a huge sign that the next two years will be just as exciting as the current campaign, where Arne Slot's men find themselves on the edge of history.