Virgil van Dijk refuses to rule out a future career as a manager

Virgil van Dijk has revealed one thing that he thoroughly enjoys doing at Liverpool, and he’s also hinted at a potential future career path.

We still don’t know if the Reds captain will be at the club this time next year (when he’ll be 34), with no sign of a contract extension just yet – his current deal expires at the end of this season.

Despite the uncertainty over his immediate future, the Dutchman has been discussing some possibilities for what he might do when he calls time on his playing career.

Van Dijk not ruling out management

Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, Van Dijk refused to rule out the possibility of following in Arne Slot’s footsteps and becoming a manager, while he said that he likes to keep an eye on the academy teams at Liverpool and track the progress of the youngsters coming through that setup.

When the question about management was put to the 33-year-old, he replied: “I said no, but that’s also because coming to this hectic, busy, on-it life that my family is sacrificing a lot, my wife and my kid. To then have a year off or two years off and then going back into it… I don’t think I see it happening, but never say never.

“I really feel like I definitely will give something back to football. I love working and seeing younger players out there. I like going, for example, to the Liverpool Academy to watch the [underage teams]…I would love to stay in football in the future, but at my time, I don’t know which kind of role, and it’s too far away to think about it.”

Could Van Dijk become an elite manager in the future?

The transition from playing to management can be a tricky one – as Steven Gerrard is discovering amid reports that he could be sacked by Al-Ettifaq – but if Van Dijk’s on-field demeanour is any indication, he could be tailor-made for life in the dugout in a few years’ time.

The Dutchman seemed the clearcut choice for the Liverpool captaincy once Jordan Henderson departed in last year, and during one pre-season match that summer at which paying spectators weren’t present, his leadership traits were exhibited by his constant barking of instructions to his teammates.

Even if the 33-year-old doesn’t become a front-facing manager, he could satisfy his enthusiasm for football by working underneath a number one as part of a backroom coaching ticket, which brings nowhere near the same level of public scrutiny as being the main man in charge.

Alternatively, he could cut his teeth as an academy coach (just as Gerrard did with the Reds) before potentially getting into a first-team environment.

Van Dijk as a manager in a few years’ time would be an intrigiung prospect to imagine, but for now let’s just appreciate him as a world-class defender and keep those fingers crossed that he’ll still be wearing the number 4 shirt at Liverpool by the start of next season!