Liverpool assistant coach Lijnders: Van Dijk is obsessed with clean sheets | OneFootball

Liverpool assistant coach Pep Lijnders says Virgil van Dijk is obsessed with clean sheets.

Lijnders claims his fixation on shutting out the opposition was a major plank of their success in ending thirty years without the coveted crown.

“Virgil's influence has been massive on the team. Firstly because of his personality," says Lijnders.

“He does not need to talk about leadership, he is showing leadership and his winning mentality in every vein of his body.

“Secondly, his presence in the dressing room. He is such a calm figure. He is only dealing with 'clean sheets'. He is just crazy about keeping clean sheets.

“And what is great about him is that the team can press really high up on the pitch when you have a central defender like Virgil at the back.

“Because of him, our opponents always face a tough job. First they have to try and get past our three strikers, who run and fight for every ball.

“They have been trained to handle five or six opponents at the same time.

“When the opposition has dealt with our three strikers, they are facing a block of seven midfielders, and then, finally, they are facing Virgil van Dijk.

“And with those giant leaps of his, he solves many football problems.''