'We all love him' - Virgil van Dijk hails 'amazing' Federico Chiesa after 'unlucky' star's match-winning cameo against Bournemouth

Van Dijk spoke with reporters following Liverpool's 4-2 win, which briefly looked in jeopardy after surrendering a 2-0 lead in the second half. Chiesa scored a clever goal late on to restore the lead, before Mohamed Salah made it comfortable, and his captain suggested the rest of the squad always knew the Italian was capable of making such an impact. 

Chiesa emerged as one of the continent's brightest young attackers when he inspired Italy to Euro 2020 glory, but injuries in more recent times have hampered his development. Liverpool paid a bargain transfer fee to Juventus last summer, but Chiesa struggled to establish himself due to persistent fitness issues. All in all, he only played 104 minutes in the Premier League across 2024-25. His arrival as a late substitute in the Bournemouth game when Liverpool were looking for a goal to retake the lead was even openly questioned by club legend and Sky Sports co-commentator Jamie Carragher. 

"Fede is an amazing character, he works so hard and has been unlucky with injuries but we are all here for him and we all know what kind of impact he could have," Van Dijk explained. "He's a great character and we all love him, I think everyone can see that, and he's loved by the fans, and to produce moments like he has [against Bournemouth] is something we all want to see." 

Competition for places at Liverpool is rife, with Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah first choice in the wide positions, and Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike also capable of playing from the wings. But, if Chiesa can stay fit, the club's busy schedule across four different competitions this season could still hand the Italian plenty of opportunities. The fact that he has proved himself so early in the campaign bodes well for him.