Virgil van Dijk clarifies uncertain future comments

Virgil van Dijk has insisted his words were 'taken out of context', following comments he made which seemed to suggest his Liverpool future was uncertain.

The Reds captain has 18 months left on his current contract at Anfield, while there has been speculation that he could follow Jurgen Klopp out the Anfield exit in the near future, after the boss' shock announcement last week.

Asked about whether he will be part of a new era at Liverpool, Van Dijk gave a seemingly non-committal response.

He said: "That’s a big question. Well, I don’t know.

"Listen, I don’t know. The club will have a big job on their hands. That is well known. To replace the manager and replace not only the manager, the staff is leaving, and there are so many things that will change.

"So the club has a big job on its hands and I am very curious which direction that will go in. But when that will be announced we will see our situation, I can’t say now.

"Obviously it will be the end of Jurgen Klopp’s era. I am very glad that I am still part of it. That is why I don’t like to speak about it. I am still part of it. That is my main focus now and we will see at the end of the season.

"Hopefully we have the success that we all dream of and fight for each and every day. By then there will probably be more clarification about what the club wants for the future and then we will see."

While cryptic comments like these are common among players during the posturing stages of contract negotiations, the wider context around Liverpool helped fuelled panic over a possible Anfield exodus — with Klopp's assistant managers Pep Lijnders and Peter Krawietz, elite development coach Vitor Matos and interim sporting director Jorg Schmadtke also set to depart, and the futures of several players up in the air.

'Don't get it twisted'

However, speaking on Men in Blazers, Van Dijk calmed the situation, reiterating his love for the club and insisting he is still 'fully committed' to Liverpool.

"It's been taken out of context. To be 100 per cent clear, I am fully committed to the club," the 32-year-old said.

"I love the club. I love the fans. [That comment] has fully been taken out of context. It's not about me. It's not about 'I', it's about 'us'. Nothing has changed.

"Five days ago we weren't even speaking about my contract so it's a bit silly. My full focus is on making sure this year is a very special year.

"It was obviously a big announcement the last couple of days, it's been a big shock to each one of us connected to the club.

"I have been feeling exactly what the fans have been feeling in that exact moment [finding out the news]. But, we mean business here.

"We want to crack on, we want to achieve the things that we dreamed of at the start of the season. We are in a good position so let's give it our all.

"But, like I said, don't get it twisted. I am fully committed to the club and I love it. I love each and every day at Liverpool."

'Stay calm'

Meanwhile, speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Wednesday's game with Chelsea, Klopp hit back at the media over reporting regarding Van Dijk's initial words.

He said: "Virgil didn't go out and say: 'By the way, what I want to say’. “It's always about the questions. We always need to answer these kind of things.

"Write what you want, this club is stable 100 percent and everything will be fine, I'm 100 percent sure and the rest we have to get through this, we have to get through your questions, we have to give answers and that's how it is.

"I would recommend to stay calm in this department, massively."

In addition to captain Van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah are also on contracts which are due to expire in the year 2025.

The deals of Thiago Alcantara and Joel Matip will run out this summer, if not renewed.