Virgil van Dijk has praised Jurgen Klopp for his brutal honesty, suggesting that the secret to their successful relationship is the German coach’s no-nonsense approach.
The Dutch defender lifted the lid on Klopp’s half-time dressing down that he gave his Liverpool side against Bayern Munich earlier in this season’s Champions League campaign.
Despite the 27 year old having had the best season of his career, the centre-back explained that Klopp won’t allow him to make mistakes, and that he isn’t free to let his standards slip.
Talking to talkSPORT, Van Dijk said:
I have a good relationship with him [Klopp] because he just tells you the truth and I will tell him the truth. That’s something I really appreciate.
Sometimes when there is a mistake I did, that no one else sees, he will tell me.
For example, away at Bayern Munich, they scored the equaliser from a ball behind Andy Robertson. Normally, I’m there to protect him, but I didn’t.
It looked like Andy Robertson was in trouble, so they scored and nobody said it was me. But at half-time, the manager came in and shouted at me.
I think he’s definitely up there with the best coaches I’ve had, [Ronald] Koeman was also a very important factor in my career and still is.
I’ve very grateful the boss bought me and got me to Liverpool.
