Salah mentoring the next generation
Van Dijk has identified Salah as a primary influence behind Ngumoha's recent surge in form, which saw the teenager inspire Liverpool's dramatic comeback from two goals down by providing two crucial assists in the 4-3 victory.
The veteran defender noted that several senior figures have taken the England youth international under their wing, though he singled out the Egyptian King as the ultimate blueprint for success. 'Everyone is chipping in but for him to work with Mo last year was obviously massive as Mo was one of the best wingers at the club and experienced everything so why not soak in all the information and show it on the pitch and show your own qualities?' the Dutchman said in statements reported by ESPN.
Total threat on the flank
Ngumoha's performance against the Yellow Submarine was a testament to his rapid tactical evolution. At just 18 years old, he became the youngest player on record since the 2008-09 season to complete five-plus dribbles (seven), register 10-plus touches in the opposition box (12), and provide multiple assists (two) in a single UEFA Champions League match.
'I think he has shown it this season but there is still much more to come. He's pretty electric at times and he showed it again. He was a complete threat constantly and their defender had a tough time,' Van Dijk added.
Getty ImagesA difficult night for the captain
While the focus was on Ngumoha's brilliance, Van Dijk was honest about his own struggles during the early stages of the match. A rare error from the Dutch defender opened the door for Georges Mikautadze to put Villarreal ahead at Anfield, before more sloppy defending allowed Sergi Cardona to double the visitors' advantage. However, goals from Alexis Mac Allister, Ronald Araujo, and Florian Wirtz helped Liverpool turn the tide, though Van Dijk fully acknowledged his own role in giving Andoni Iraola's side an early upper hand.
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'It was a terrible start,' the Netherlands international confessed when reflecting on the opening exchanges. 'I think the saying is you fight an uphill battle and as a defender it is pretty difficult to come back from it. I tried but it was a bad day at the office personally but we did it together with 11 players. We turned it around and that's the main thing.'
Bouncing back as a unit
'Unfortunately in life these things can sometimes happen. Fortunately it didn't happen too many times in my Liverpool career but tonight I was not the best. But we won and it's not about me, it's all about us. We got the three points,' Van Dijk concluded.
Despite a sluggish start to their Premier League campaign - sitting fifth after seven matchdays and trailing leaders Manchester City by nine points - Liverpool have maintained a strong run in Europe, securing three wins from their opening three Champions League fixtures.