Virgil van Dijk has shared a poignant tribute on social media following the confirmation that both Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson will bring their storied Liverpool careers to a close this summer.
The news regarding Andy Robertson broke on Thursday, with the club confirming the Scotland captain will leave on a free transfer when his contract expires in June.
After 373 appearances and a trophy cabinet that includes every major honour, the 32-year-old is reportedly weighing up offers from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Napoli, and Atletico Madrid.
His exit follows that of Mohamed Salah, who reached an agreement last month to cut his tenure short by a year. For supporters, the double blow is a sobering reminder that the “heavy metal” identity forged under Jurgen Klopp is being systematically replaced by Arne Slot’s more measured, technical evolution.
This signals a complete changing of the guard at Anfield. The core group of superstars who set the Premier League alight under Jurgen Klopp is officially being dismantled, forcing a massive summer overhaul as the club prepares for life without its most recognisable veterans.
Thankfully, Liverpool supporters will still be able to cheer on Virgil Van Dijk, past this gruelling season, as the captain’s own contract on Merseyside doesn’t expire until next summer.
Still, the day isn’t far away when Reds fans will have to wave goodbye to another unbelievable servant of the esteemed football club, with Van Dijk boasting 366 appearances in total for the Reds.
He has had his fair share of critics this season, too, with his performance in the 2-0 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain raising a lot of eyebrows, particularly when he failed to close down Desire Doue’s opener for the Ligue 1 titans.
Much like the departing Salah and Robertson, Van Dijk remains a towering figure of respect within the dressing room. Following the news of the Scotsman’s exit, the captain took to social media to reflect on a decorated Anfield career defined by the years he spent battling alongside both the Egyptian King and the Spurs-linked full-back.
Van Dijk’s emotional message to Salah & Robertson
Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, and Andy Robertson have become the definitive faces of the modern Liverpool age, whose names are now inseparable from the club’s recent era of dominance.
Staggeringly, when looking at the Dutchman’s long list of teammates across a career that saw him play for the likes of Celtic and Southampton, before moving to Anfield in 2018, he has linked up with the much-loved duo a staggering 622 times.
Virgil van Dijk: Joint Appearances:
| Teammate | Matches played together | Minutes shared |
| Salah | 328 | 27,064 mins |
| Robertson | 294 | 22,949 mins |
With the trio lifting several Premier League and Champions League titles together, it’s no wonder Van Dijk has put together such a heartfelt tribute to the pair on Instagram, as both Salah and Robertson edge for the exit door in the summer.
Stating that “This club won’t be the same without you, but the legacy you leave behind is written in history” as both Salah and Robertson depart the building as “legends”, it’s a very earnest tribute from the Liverpool captain, who has often been harsh on his teammates during the poor season currently unfolding.
Indeed, the ageing number four got himself into a spot of bother after the 4-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup, for insinuating that his teammates “gave up” under all the pressure.
Still, he was in brighter spirits after Liverpool’s 2-0 loss in the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain, as he tipped the out-of-sorts Reds to pull off a sensational comeback.
Salah and Robertson would further solidify themselves as modern icons on Merseyside if they could band together to help Liverpool overturn that two-goal deficit, with plenty of action left for the campaign, before the revered duo leave Anfield behind for good.
