WATCH: Emotional Virgil van Dijk becomes first Liverpool player to break silence following Jurgen Klopp’s exit bombshell - but still no word from Mohamed Salah

Klopp said this week that he will be leaving his role as Liverpool manager at the end of the season. The German manager informed his players of his decision before making a public statement and Van Dijk has admitted it was difficult to accept the news.

"It's a hard one to take, because the manager means so much for us, to me, to the club, to the whole Premier League I think," Van Dijk said. "But he made the decision for him and his family. It was always going to be a tough one and it was definitely the case."

He added: "Yeah, he told us in private of course, and all of us were together. Like I said, it's a hard one to take but our mindset is to focus on business. We have a lot of targets still to achieve this year and why not finish the season on a high and together with celebrations for the boss as well?"

Klopp will leave the Anfield club after almost nine years in charge. The former Borussia Dortmund manager has guided the club to success in the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup in England. His team also reached three Champions League finals, winning on one occasion.

Klopp will attempt to lead Liverpool to a second Premier League title this season. The Merseyside team are top of the table and five points clear of reigning champions Manchester City, who have a game in hand.