'It's a bit silly' - Virgil van Dijk insists his Liverpool future comments have been 'twisted' after 'big shock' of Jurgen Klopp's exit bombshell

Klopp shocked the football world on Friday by announcing that he will be departing Anfield in the summer after nine seasons with the team. When asked how he felt after Klopp's shocking declaration, Van Dijk seemed reluctant to commit his long-term future to the club. He has now defended his comments, though, claiming that they were "twisted" and that he still has a strong bond with the Reds and plans to stay.

Speaking on the YouTube channel, Men in Blazers, Van Dijk said: "It's been taken out of context. To be 100 per cent clear, I am fully committed to the club. 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 very special. It was 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 at 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 every day at Liverpool."

He concluded by saying: "I am the [Liverpool] captain and we are going to go for it all. We will see how that goes."

Klopp also refused to de drawn on the comments from Van Dijk as he suggested that the media was simply trying to use "distraction" tactics. He asked the fans to stay calm around the situations of players like Van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah, all of whom have only 18 months remaining on their contracts. Even before Klopp's announcement, it had been widely reported that at the end of the current campaign, Salah might make the switch to the Saudi Pro League.

The Dutchman will remain committed to the club at least for this season as the players will try and give Klopp the perfect sendoff by winning as many trophies as possible. Liverpool are still active in four competitions and could win their first trophy of the season when they take on Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final on February 25.