Virgil van Dijk reveals how LA Lakers hero LeBron James and NFL legend Tom Brady inspire Liverpool defender to 'get the maximum' out of himself

Van Dijk, who recently collaborated with James for the launch of his new fashion line ‘LFC x LeBron,’ received a motivating message from the basketball icon. In the message, James expressed his confidence in Van Dijk's ability to achieve "amazing things" for Liverpool and encouraged him to "strive for greatness" - which is also the name of James’ documentary.

Van Dijk embraced James' words, recognising the significance of pushing oneself to the maximum potential in every aspect of life and sports to reach the zenith of success. And there is little doubt that he will use the mantra for the best cause against fiercest rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup on Sunday.

“That phrase (Strive for Greatness) he uses is perfect and it could be used for a lot of things,” said the Liverpool skipper.

“We have had messages passed between us. For me personally, I definitely try and follow that because I want to achieve the most I can in life and get the maximum out of myself, the team and the position we’re in. We’re in a good place to do that this season, again. Every season is always a challenge, but this season we’re in a special situation.

“I look at all the top athletes because I feel they all have a big role, either as a role model or for their team and community, and there are so many things you can learn. There’s LeBron, [Novak] Djokovic, Roger Federer, Tom Brady - I could name so many. I like to listen to these guys and learn how they dealt with being at the top and dealing with difficult moments, but also good moments.”

In adopting aspects of James' lifestyle, Van Dijk has incorporated personalised recovery methods, including having his own physiotherapist and chef, to ensure optimal preparation for each game.

“Those two parts are very important,” he said. “I do my recovery stuff so I can be optimally prepared for the next challenge, especially when you’re having three games a week. It was already fine, but I want to be better and make the most out of it, and that hard work nobody sees is the key to success.”

After overcoming challenges from the previous season, Van Dijk feels confident and comfortable, attributing his resurgence to personal growth and development in all aspects of his game. With his renewed determination and inspired mindset, Van Dijk aims to propel Liverpool to the quadruple in May. And the journey resumes in a rival territory - Old Trafford.

“It’s always difficult, it’s always intense,” he said. "It’s the history of the games with the two biggest clubs in England and that brings extra expectation and pressure. But why not just go out there and enjoy it, play our game and hopefully go to the next round?”