Liverpool Confirm Leadership Group to Support Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold

The summer of 2020 has been a time of major change for Liverpool Football Club, with the departures of Jordan Henderson and James Milner leaving the Reds without two of their most influential leaders. However, Jurgen Klopp has now confirmed the leadership group to support Virgil van Dijk, the new captain, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, the vice-captain.

Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold Lead the Way

Having worn the armband on a number of occasions in recent years, it was no surprise when Virgil van Dijk was named as Liverpool’s new captain. The Dutch defender has been a key figure in the Reds’ success over the past few seasons, and his leadership qualities have been evident both on and off the pitch.

Monday brought the welcome news of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s promotion to vice-captain. The 21-year-old right-back has been a regular starter for Liverpool since making his debut in 2016, and his performances have seen him become one of the best players in his position in world football.

A Core of Leaders Within the Squad

Beyond those two roles, however, Klopp relies upon a core of leaders within his squad to influence matters in the dressing room. The manager has added Mohamed Salah to that group as of this summer, with Klopp telling the club’s official website of the new hierarchy.

“So, the thing is that the leadership group is Virgil, Trent, Robbo, Ali and Mo,” he explained. “They all have, like, captain’s potential. So it’s not that I now sat there and had to make a decision against somebody. I just had to make sure that we make the right decision, and these five players will have a massive role.”

Both Andy Robertson and Alisson had been part of the leadership group along with Henderson, Milner, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold previously. Klopp described Robertson and Alisson as “natural leaders,” though he noted why his No. 1 was not in contention for the armband, saying with goalkeepers “on the pitch, it’s not great; off the pitch, super-important.”

The manager suggested it would be Robertson who serves as third in line, though the addition of Salah to the group was a no-brainer. “Mo, captain of Egypt, one of the best players to ever play for this club,” Klopp continued. “But strikers are different, strikers have to be different – we all benefit from that. So we need him as a role model, we need Mo as the one who leads the line, if you want, who is the first to press, who’s the first to all these things on the pitch. And off the pitch, he’s smart, everybody loves him, everybody wants to have him around, so for us he’s super, super-important.”

Leadership Not Lacking at Anfield

With all the discussion and narrative around Liverpool losing their leaders this summer, those five show that the Reds aren’t exactly short of such leadership in their squad. Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold lead the way at Anfield, but they are supported by a core of experienced players who can help guide Liverpool through what promises to be an exciting season ahead.