The Liverpool captain has made a change to the team's pre-match routine and is back to his
Dominic Calvert-Lewin wouldn't have known it at the time, but his Merseyside derby battle with Virgil van Dijk peaked after just 36 seconds at Anfield on Saturday.
The Liverpool captain might have only been the official skipper since the summer but this was his 50th appearance with the armband and he played like a man who was determined to make his mark on the 243rd meeting between the local rivals. The sending-off at Newcastle aside, it's been a strong start to the campaign for Van Dijk, who has had to listen to exaggerated claims around his form for too long now, particularly in his homeland where a slew of outspoken pundits and former players have attempted to tear down the Netherlands captain.
"Long-term, the knee operation probably did take a toll, but the recent negative appraisals are based on how good Van Dijk has been. This is a player who was unlucky to finish runner-up to Lionel Messi in the Ballon d’Or voting in 2019 – a rare accolade for a centre-back." If Van Dijk's exudes a quiet calm compared to the more vocal Henderson when it comes to being club captain, he, alongside Alexander-Arnold, leads more by example and he is hugely respected by his colleagues.
One of the things the new skipper has chosen to do in his new role is to introduce a team huddle before kick-off now which aims to give the players a few final words of inspiration before the games get underway.
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